The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-03
ARMS FOR NICARAGUA.
A Rich Prize Which British
WarShipS Failed to
Capture.
The Overthrow of the Zelaya Gov
eminent Was One Of EngIand's
Projects.

MANAGUA, NICARAGUA, May 1s.--If the
British had occupied Corinto little
longer than they did they would have
been able to capture British steamer, the
Delay, which arrived there two days ago
loaded with full supply of modern, i'm
proved field artillery, rifles and ammuni-
ton for about 5000 officers and soldiers of
the Nicaraguan army, and Admiral
Stephenson would thus have been able to
collect the 815,50O claimed by Great Brit
ain as indemnity from Nicaragua without
any difficulty. The British warship sailed
away on May Is, and this most valuable
cargo arrived at Corinto on May 16 under
the British flag, to the great delight of the
Nicaraguan authorities, who feared that
the supply of war material would fall into
the hands of the British.
1t is considered more than likely that
| Admiral Stephenson would have seized
and detained the Delay until the indem-
nifty was paid, and there is great deal OF
rejoicing here at its escape, for it would
have made an admirable substitute for the
port and customs duties of Corinto, which
the British Admiral was prevented from
collecting by the fact that the Nicaraguan
Government declared the port closed
shortly after it was occupied by the British.
Nobody here doubts that had the British
Admiral captured this supply of war ma
terial and satisfied Great Britain's claim
against Nicaragua by its sale, the act
| would have so thoroughly Inundated the
present Government of Nicaragua as to
have caused its overthrow at once by a
revolution.
| &c ,ofd ,a1,h Tod f1,a+
| son could have taken possession of the
Delays cargo, in spite of the fact that the
| steamer was under the British flag, as the
war material was purchased in Germany
| in 1894 by the present Government OF
| Nicaragua. Then, again, people here in
| sist that Great Britain was DESTROYS of OBJ
tanning "coaling station" on the island
of Corinto, and another coaling station on
Corn Island, near the Atlantic entrance of
the proposed canal through Nicaragua,
and then Great Britain would have been
able to control both entrances of the ap-
proaches of the canal.
| 1t is claimed the intention of Great
Britain was to cause the overthrow of the
present Government of Nicaragua, and to
place in power native Nicaraguans of her
own choosing, and there are some promi-
nent natives of this country who are very
| fond of Great Britain. 1t is claimed by
the irritated here that Admiral Stephen
| son and several of his officers when at
Corinto on April 25, just before they actu-
ally took armed possession of the port and
island, publicly declared to many persons,
among whom was w L. Tisdale, United
States citizen, and the agent for the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, that the Monroe
doctrine so often referred to in the United
States press and by the people is myth ;
that the United States would not and could
not if they desired, enforce it, and it is
added that the British officers asserted that
the occupation of Corinto was intended TO
test the question. 1t should be said in
conclusion, however, that it has been
denied that there was any truth in the
story that the British officers made such
statements.
The export of the coffee crop of 1894 from
this country is now so nearly Completed
that fair estimate can be made of the az
gregate, and it Isl believed that it viii
amount to 16, 0O0,0 600 pounds against about
! IL, 600, 900 last year.