The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1895-05-04
THE BRITISH LANDED.
WOW Occupying coRlNro.
Sicaraguans Abandon tho Town and the
Government Announces That tho FORT
Is Closed to Imports.

Washington, April 29.-The events
of the day in diplomatic circles here
were the landing of the British troops
at Corinto, the abandonment of the
/ town by native officials and the popu-
Iation and the shrewd move Of the Nj
caraguans In declaring Corinto closed
port The .irst news of the events
came In the afternoon to DR.. Guzman.
| the Nicaraguan minister.
The first cablegram stated that the
British troops had landed at Corinto
and that the British flag was Tying over
| the town, which had been deserted by
the Nicaraguan officials and the native
| inhabitants.
| The second cabegram showed that
| the authorities had gone to San Juan
| Del Sur. cutting the wires connecting
| the cable port with Corinto so that the
1 British forces at the latter place could
not communicate with their home gov
eminent except BY sending boat TO
| the cable station. The main body OF
\ the Nicaraguans who had abandoned
| Corinto lad crossed lagoon which sep
arates the town from the main land and
had strongly entrenched themselves.
The first effect Of the decree closing
the por; therefore, will probably be to
| divert nearly all, If not the entire I'M
port trade of the place to San Juan Del
| Sur or perhaps Realaja, seaport near
by, for it is improbable that many mer-
chants will take the chances of getting
their goods in Nicaragua through the
| British lines under the circumstances.
| In this case the length of the stay OF
| the British at Corinto is problematicai
| conditional as 1t is upon collecting
| enough revenue from customs to make
| good the indemnity demanded. But an
| other consideration arises at this point,
| for our government has been assured
| that the occupation Will not be perma-
ncnt and indeed the first paragraph OF
the Clayton-Rulwer treaty expressly
pledges Great Britain against any oc-
| cupatiOn of Nic1raguau territory SO
| the problem will arise how TO collect
the Indemnity within q reasonable time
| This may lie settled summarily by sim
| ply extending the occupat ton and
| blockade beyond Corinlo. so as TO in
| clude all OF the Pacific ports of Nicara-
qua. From the disposition shown by
| the NicaraGuas at present this can be
done only by force and is likely to add
very largely TO the expenses incurred in
the collection OF the indemnity. which
items Will surely be added by the Brit
ish TO the original sum.
| There is some difference OF opinion
| here as TO whether the declaration Of
| Nicaragua that Co:into was a closed
port, will be recognized. 1t is plainly
within the power Of any country to
close port In time Of peace. and Sen
ator Morgan yesterday expressed the
| opinion that in this way Nicaragua
would prevent England from collecting
| the revenue, but this country has al
ways maintained, and in this we have
been sustained by International custom.
that III order to close port an effective
| blockade must BE- sustained. England
insisted upon this when the United
Sta'es declared the Confederate pOrss
| closet .iur.ug tha war.
The Britsh position is said to be very
bad from strategic standpoint The
town is practically on an island being
separated from the mainland By a
stretch Of ,narshy ground. This Is
traversed with bridges, and without
them Corinto - cIt off from the shore
! The N:cpaGuans have retired to the
shore end ne the bridges and those well
| informed OH the situation believe that
t. thc British make any movement TO
cross the lagoon the bridges will be
burned II II. tie little band of Nicara
guam troops will make a stand against
further encr0achments.