The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-12-06
WORK FOR THE NAVY
Cruisers Ordered Out and
Others Making Ready.
ALMOST A WAR SCARE DEVELOPS
Administration Expects to be Sustained
in Its Efforts to Prevent Foreign In
reference at BIuefields-The Presi-
dent and Secretary Gresham Confer.

in Its Efforts to Prevent Foreign In
reference at BIuefields-The Presi-
dent and Secretary Gresham Confer.
WASHINGTON, November 29.-As re-
suit of conference at Woodley to-day
between the President and Secretary
Gresham the cruiser Columbia, which
had been for several weeks at Kingston,
Jamaica, was cabled peremptory orders
to proceed at once to Bluefelds for the
protection of American interests. Mr..
Gresham's visit to the Presidents coun-
try home followed Immediately upon an
interview he had with the Nicaraguan
Minister. All the officials acquainted
with the affair refuse to divulge the rea
son of the hurried orders to the Column
bia or to confirm statements of trouble
in Panama in regard to a refusal of Great
Britain to recognize the Nicaraguan gov
eminent. Acting Secretary McAdoo said
that, if it were true that the Colum bia
had gone to Bluefelds, it was probably
on cruise, conforming with the estab-
lished policy of the government to keep
ship in Central American waters, as
the Navy Department had no recent re-
ports from Blueields indicating trouble
there. 1t is learned, however, on excel
lent authority that not only the Column
bia. but the Marblehead, which arrived
at Kingston to-day, will remain at Blue
fields continuously this winter, and that
the Montgomery may be sent there from
Mobile, but that preliminary orders have
10 TO hox hn
ships in commission of the North Allan
tic squadron prepared for West Indian
cruise at the earliest possible moment.
In addition the sailing orders for the San
Francisco, which was to leave December
Is to become the flagship in European
waters, have been withheld, and she may
be sent Immediately to the Gulf of
Mexico.
The Castine's cruise to the South At
lantic, which was to commence early
next month, will in all probability be
Interrupted when she reaches the West
Indies. Instructions to prepare the
Minneapolis for sea at once have also
been sent to the Navy Department
chiefs. There seems to be in fact almost
war scare pervading the navy, brought
about by diplomatic rumors to the effect
that Great Britain, which several
months ago expressed a willingness to
recognize the full iurisdictional rights OF
Nicaragua over the Mosquito coast, had
shown disposition to resent what ap-
pears to be the practical annexation of
the territory and its complete incorpora-
ton as portion of Nicaragua. AS long
as the interoceanic canal bill seemed I'M
der favorable consideration at the last
session of Congress Great Britain re-
NAMED quiescent in the Mosquito con-
troversy, and as result of conferences
which were held at Washington Lord
Rosebery's Cabinet consented to receive
special envoy from Nicaragua, whose
mission related solely to abrogation of
the treaty, which gave Great Britain
guardianship over the now almost ex-
tinct tribe of Mosquito Indians. This
envoy, it is understood, has been in
London for some time, but when Con-
gress adjourned without acting on the
canal bill the organization committee of
the canal company went to England In
September last to seek money, and the
suggested abrogation of the British
treaty has been put in the background.
Not until to- day was it definitely learned
that Great Britain had declined to recog-
nize the legality of the new order OF
things on the Mosquito coast, and that
it had SO notified Nicaragua; although
such action has been anticipated for
several weeks, which accounts for the
fact that the Columbia and Marblehead
were not long ago brought home. 1t
may also explain to some extent why
the Montgomery was sent south to Mo-
bile, ostensibly to test new description
of Goals. The near approach OF the
meeting of Congress, it is said, gives the
President assurance that he will be sup
ported to the fullest extent in prevent
ing foreign interference near the route
of the proposed interoceanic canal.