New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-08
THE INrlNiON or BLCEFIELDS.

Recent reports from the lSthmuS serve I" IN
plain the crrand of the Kcar>arge Whcn She WIS
wrecked on RoncadOr while on IN" way Iro"
TInyti To Bluciclls The rumorS have MOI p"eh
officially confirmed from the stat" department.
but il is probable thar the landing on Nic'
raguan and British forces at the capliai oi 'ue
Mesquite Reservation has prccipita''d Il crlSS
which has been impending for long tlm'' Inc
disappearance of the Mosquito chicf ana me
dcmoralizctl condition of the local government
have invited Nicaraguan aggression Inc i"r''S
which are said 10 have been landed from IL
British man-of-war have probably been en-
ploycd for the protection of the people "i me
Reservation. The situation is undoubtedly crit
ica aud Americans have important interests
which ought not tc escape ohScrN1iioll
The Mosquito Reservation is Il strip of 'arlo-
bean scaboarl stretching from Cape GraclaS
nearly to the mouth of the san Juan at Grey
town Although discovered by Columbus. II
was not considered of any value 10y tn" span
iar,ls. since there were no Indications "i E"hi
and the natives were degraded and impovc'-
iShcd Either from the wreck of SlAv"-Shlp
or from the escape Of runaway negroes from
Jamaica n hybrid race of Indian African breed
took possession of The coast under British pro
lection BY treaties negotiated in llN' AMI liN6
England abandoned all claim To the Mosqmt"
Coast but her prctcnSionS were revived when
thr Central American States rcvoltcd against
Spain Mosquito kings were crowned either nj
Rcl;z,. or Blucnclls under british protection.
When the Chytor-Buwcr treaty WAS ncgotl-
afc1 England nominay abandoned this pro-
icctoratc and the kings were subsequently
known ~ chiefs: hut the political control of IN"
Reservation remained in the hands OF the blacks
and the Molavian missionaries. and British IN
nucncr was supreme BY treaty negotiated
in 1850 between Great Britain and Nirarl%ua
The independence Of III" natives was Suaran-
rcch and the services If the Emperor Of Aus
ira were employed rs I'm arbitrator. Il is this
autonomy Of he Reservation which j. now i'm
p.rillrl by the landing of armed forces from
Grcyiown.
Under the Claytonp ulw'r treaty British
protccioratc Of the Reservation is excluded; hu'
practically it exists under the convention Of
1850 AMI thr decision # the Emperor of Aus
tra Nicaragua cpyrtS ths forest ScHboard.
which has hccomc valuable from lis mahogany
clraring~ rubber clumps. banana plantations
and traces of gold In some Of thc rivers: but
it canrot obtain control of The territory 80 lon@
as England retains It's treaty right II @laran-
tccing hoIuc rule Tin. Reservation has made
its own laws and collected it, own revenues
under low tariff AMI has been virtually indie
pendent ~ Nicaragua Il j. a srf-@oycrnin=.
English speaking community. with IN" Ncrayian
missions a. % State Church 3ud Roman tIthol-
ici>rn excluded While there is an Indian chief
~ The head If the Territorial Government. prac-
tically home rule involves negro domination
Indeed. nearly all The officials and magistrates
are Jamaica negroes II Is hotb"d of fanatical
Professionalism in the heart Of Spanish America
The Nicaracuan Government has been arlcntly
desiring thi> territory In Years. and has "Siah
liShcI garrison stations overlooking IT ~ RIun
and corn Island Nothing bur dread IL British
power has prevented he invasion If TIA" li"Scr
walton and The establishment of The Ni'arl@uan
customs line from GrcyioWn - free porn 10y
treaty 10 cape GraciaS N> The story j. tod
az The I.thmu>. British marines ar" now on
shore To protect the native Government.
What renders this situation even more anon
alouN il The fact that all the commerce "f th"
Reservation Is with The United States. and that
Eluciiclds t. H." nearest port To- The entrance
of ihc proposed American waterway from ocean
To- ocean. The banana. rubber aud mahogany
trade j. with NrW-O Orleans. New lurh aud B">-
ton. and is directed mainly hy Americans. The
thrc" thousand Indian wards protected 10y Great
Britain and ruled hy IImaicl negroes are ON
ploycl. far they work at I'll. in mahogany
clcarng> operated in the interest of American
palace ear companies The Clayton l'ulWcr
treaty. If il were literally interpreted. would
exclude The British protcctorlio. which yiril-
ally exists In defiance Of tS provisions. Hut if
that laundering achcy cmcni of imbccilr Amrri-
can diplomacy We're Ia be- enforced. The British
claim for a joint prot"ctoratc over the inter
oceanic canal would hay" 10 be- admitted. Til"
situation iS very curious one. Nothing. of
course can he expected from tn" present Sccre-
taIy of State but demand upon IN" Navy De
parlmcnt for - ship To replace the KrarSargc nj
BluriirdS; bur u statesman of Mr. Blainc'S
genius would find in the landing of British
troops nj BluciicldS substantial ground for the
abroGation of thr Clayton Iiuiscr treaty
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