The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-28

berfouS Trouble to the United States.
WASHINGTON. April 27.-The sensa..
ton Of the day in diplomatic circles
here was the landing Of the British
troops at Corinto, Nicaragua, the aban-
donment of the town by the native off
Gals and the population, snd the shrewd
move OF the Nicaraguans in declaring
Corinto closed port. The first news
ofthese events came to DR.. Guzman,
the Nioaraguan minister, in two chble-
grams from his government, forwarded
from San Juan del Sur, the Nicaraguan
cable port, about 100 miles south OF CO.
rinto.
The first cablegram stated that the
British troops had landed at Corinto,
and that the British fla< was flying
over the town, which had been deserted
by the Nicaraguan officials and the ma
tive Inhabitants. The second cable
gram showed that the authorities had
gone to San Juan del Sur, cutting the
wires connecting the cable port with
Corlnto, so that the British forces at the
latter place could not communi.ate with
their home government except by send
Ing q boat to tho cable station. The
main body Of the Nicaraguans who had
abandoned Corinto. had crossed lagoon
which separates the town from the
mainland and had strongly entrenched
themselves.
The news, 1t was apparent, was not
expected by the State Department,
which had never believed that the
Nicaragusns would go to the length of
permitting the occupation of Corin to In
nrnfarQnra n nautun IND
nifty. That the only difficulty in the
way of speedy settlement of the demand
was that arising from the trouble ex-
perienced by the Nicaraguau govern
ment In raising the money hastily and
that the British admiral would be in
dulgen. on this point when once sasisa
fed OF the disposition OF the Nicaraguans
to comply with the terms OF the ulti-
natum otherwise had never been
doubted by the department..
The situation at Corinto Is now res
garded. as ominous Of serious trouble,
for the dispatches indicate that the
Nicaraguans are disposed to resist any
further advances by the British. The
information reaching here ia to the eff
feet that the Nlcaraguans may further
insolate British at Corinto by burning
the bridges across the lagoon, separat-
Ing the town from the mainland. The
British position is said to be very bad
from strategic standpoint. The town
is practically on an island, being sep
arated from the mainland by stretch
OF marshy ground. This is traversed by
bridges and without them Corinto is cut
Off from the shore. The NicarRguans
have moved from the shore end of the
bridge and those we'll informed on the
situation believe that II the British
make any move to cross the lagoon the
bridges will be burned and the little
band of Nic,rsguan troops will make a
stand against further encroachments
The British are evidently apprehen.
sive OF trouble on this score as Indicated
by the cablegrams from Colon, showing
that the three vessels, the Royal Sow
ereign, the Wild Swan and the Satel~
lite. have been moved so as to command
the town with their guns. 1t Ia proba-
BILE that this disposition has been made
so as to ensure the occupying forces,
Numbering about 400 armed men, from
an attack by the Nicaraguns rather than
with any deliberate purpose of bonn
harding the town, for there Is no evil
dence that the British desire to advance
into the interior at present. and it was
certainly not part OF their original
program of operations, as made known
to our government, to bonn bard the
place.
The news OF the situation at Corin.o
created commotion here, and particu-
larly in the State Department.. Sir
Julian Pauncefote, the British am bassa.
dor, came to the department, and after
remaining in private consultation with
Secretary Gresham for short time, the
two repaired to the War Department to
consult with Secretary Lamont. Later
on the news came to the department
through The Associated Press from
Colon, that the Nicaragusn government
had made sharp move by declaring
Corinto closed port. This was evil.
IDENTIFY disturbing element in the Gala
culations, for Assistant Secretary Uhl
was at once dispatched to the British
embassy to confer with Sir Julian
Pauncefote, most unusual proceeding
in departmental etiquette.
There can be no doubt that the &C
ton OF the Nicsraguans in declaring
Corinto closed port has seriously COM
plicated this most troublesome q uestion,
and even II there Is no resort to hostili-
ties at present, It opens prospect OF
alarming events in the future which
are regarded as likely to involve the
United States in spite of the earnest
disposition OF the administration to
avoid ENHANCEMENT. The action means
that no goods can now be entered at
Corinto, q port which has heretofore re-
ceived over half Of the imports into the
country, without violating the national
law OF Nicaragua. The British NAV
collect duties IL any goods enter the