The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-26
Awaiting the Outcome of the
ForCible Collection of
Indemnity.
MANY PRECEDENTs PRESENTED
1t Is Intlmated That This Country
Is Interested in the Bullying of
the Little Republic.

latest information here tonight is to the
effect that there viii be no change in the
attitude assumed by Nicaragua toward the
British ultimatum, and the belief IS that
the British will occupy Corinto tomorrow
and enforce their demands.
Late tonight a well-known diplomat re-
ceived private information from connec-
lions in New York City to the effect that
Nicaragua had decided to refuse to accede
ITO Great Britain's uItimatum and would
resist it.
Advices received to-day say that Vice
kAdmiral Stephenson, in command of the
kBritish forces at Corinto, has given Mica
ragua notice that he will consider the
time of grace to run until midnight to-
night. He viii begin landing troops at 6
O'Clock tomorrow morning.
Dr. Guzman had not, up to a late hour,
received any information from his Gov
eminent regarding the matter, but he is
confident that matters Will transpire as
indicated. The Minister was very much
perturbed, for, while he had no advices
directly from his Government relative to
the projected landing at CorintO later than
those OF Yesterday, he is evidently in great
doubt of the favorable disposition of the
administration.
1t is intimated by some officials, in ex-
PLANTATION of the harmony of view between
the United States and Great Britain OF the
matter Of enforcing the British ultimatum
reported from London, that the United
States itself has an interest in the success
OF the British attempt to collect indemnity,
being about to make a demand on Hon
duras for indemnity for the murder of the
American, Renton, and the destruction of
his estate there last spring, and also to
move on Guatemala fqT reparation for the
i'll treatment of number of Americans by
Government officials.
Nicaragua's last hope of assistance from
the United States in her controversy with
Great Britain to prevent the seizure of
Corinto vanished this evening. D. Guz-
man, the Nicaraguan Minister, who has
been waiting with intense anxiety to see
Secretary Gresham, was finally successful
about o'clock, when the Secretary came
into the department from the White
House, where he had been in consultation
with President Cleveland, presumably on
the same subject.
The interview was very short. In five
minutes the Minister emerged from the
pressed. He refused to say a word as to
what had taken place, but it can be stated
that the Secretary gave him TO understand
very clearly that the United States would
not interfere in the case as it stands. So
there are now three courses open to Mica
ragua, namely: To pay the indemnity,
to permit the occupation of Corinto or to
fight, and the next twelve hours must find
the choice declared, for the British troops
are to land at daybreak tomorrow at
Corinto.
As already stated in the Associated Press
dispatches, the position taken by the Presi-
dent in this matter is that the dispute is
one entirely between Great Britain and
Nicaragua, in which the United States has
no call to interfere unless there should be
committed acts injurious to American in.
terests in Nicaragua, or there should be
shown a disposition by Great Britain to
acquire Nicaraguan territory. On each of
these points favorable assurance has been
had from Great Britain, and it is said that
all that can be now done is to watch the
course Of events. This decision was not
hastily reached, for the entire subject of
our relations TO the countries of Central
and South America was considered and
discussed carefully by the President with
his constitutional advisers, and there has
been made a close scrutiny of the prece-
dents that might suffice for their guidance.
These have been found in at least three
cases.
The first was fully set out in the message
of President Buchanan to Congress in 1859
in that portion relating to Paraguay For
several years preceding this message the
United States had great difficulty in main
tanning friendly relations with Paraguay,
the latter country being then under the
dictatorship of DR.. Lopez, who was carry
ing out policy OF excluding the rest of the
world from his country by the most drastic
measures. He had as President Buchanan
stated, upon the most frivolous and even
insulting pretexts, refused 10 ratify the
treaty of friendship and commerce con-
Guided with Paraguay, had seized and APP
propriated the property OF American citi-
zens residing in the country in a violent
and arbitrary manner, and finally the
Paraguayans had fired upon the United
States steamship Waterwitch in 1855 and
killed the helmsman, while the vessel was
making a peaceful survey of the Parana
River to determines its fitness for steam
navigation. The honor as well as the in
terests of the United States demanded sat
isfaction, and the President being clothed
by Congress with necessary power sent a
naval expedition up the Parana River to
the capital of Paraguay and compelled
ample apologies from the President, the
payment OF an indemnity of $10,0 600 to the
family OF the man who was killed, and
hnally secured the ratification of the treaty.
The application of this case to the Mic
araguan situation is not exact, but it is re-
garded as committing the United States to
the recognition Of the principle of the right
to demand an indemnity for the abuse of
United States officers, and therefore we
could not consistently deny the same right
to Great Britain. The second case which
was relied upon as precedent grew out of
the difficulties encountered bv snain
France and Great Britain in their Relations
with Mexico in 1860. These nations sae-
serted that they had been plac ed bv the
arbitrary ANDY exatious conduct Of Mexico
under the necessity Of exacting from the
authorities of that country more effective
protection for the persons and properties