The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-03
At THE PROPER TIME
The British Let Loose of COrintO None
Too Soon.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Had Admiral Stephenson Waited
Until the Arrival of a Large Car
go of Munitions of Wharf.-The
Mics Are Highly Elated.

Special Cores pondence of Associated Press.
Copyrighted 1895.
Managua, Nicaragua, May 1S-If the
British had occupied Corinto a little
longer. they would have been able 10
capture the British steamer, The De
bay, which arrived there two days ago.
loaded with a full supply of modern
and improved field artillery, rifles and
ammunition for about 5000 officers and
soldiers of the Nicaraguan army, and
Admiral Stephenson would thus have
been able to collect the f15.500 claimed
by Great Britain as indemnity from
Nicaragua without any difficulty. The
British war ship sailed away on May 5,
and this most valuable cargo arrived
at Corinto on May 16, under the British
flag, to the great delight of the Mica
raguan authorities, who feared the
supply of war material would fall into
the hands of the British. 1t is consid-
cred more than likely that Admiral
Stephenson would have seized and de-
tanned The Delay until the indemnity
was paid. and there is a great deal of
rejoicing here at its escape, for ii would
have made an admirable substitute for
the port and custom duties of Corinto,
which the British admiral was pre-
NChlCu AlOui COilCCllll6 ny the ldCl llidS
the Nicaraguan government declared
the port closed shortly after it was oc-
cupied by the British. Nobody here
doubts that had the British admiral
captured this supply of war material
and satisfied Great Britain's claim
against Nicaragua by it's sale. the act
would have so thoroughly Inundated
the present government as to have
On G brnxxy nj hNy1
luton. 1t is not doubted that Admiral
Stephenson could have taken posses.
sion 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. the people here insist that
Great Britain was desirous of obtain
ing a "coaling station" on the island of
Corinto, and another coaling station on
Corn island, near the Atlantic en-
trance to the proposed inter-oceanic
canal through Nicaragua, and thus
Great Britain would have been able to
control both entrances to the approach
es 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 Nicara-
guans of her own choosing. and there
are some prominent natives of this
country who are very fond of Great
Britain. 1t is claimed by irritated peo-
pie here that Admiral Stephenson and
several of his officers, when at Corinto
on April 25, just before they actually
took armed possession of that port and
island, publicly declared to many per-
sons, among whom was w. T. Tisdale.
a United States citizen and agent of
the Pacific Mail Steamship company,
that the Monroe doctrine, so often re-
ferred to in the United States press
and by that people, is a myth; that
the United States would not and could
not, If they desired. enforce it, and it
is added that the British officers as
serted 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 a fair estimate can be
made of the aggregate, and it is be-
lieved it will amount to f16,000,000
against about tl3,OOO,OOO last year. The
quality is unusually good. The price
in Europe and the United States for
good to best qualities is from is to 22
cents, gold, per pound. The export tax
is cents, Nicaragua currency, per
pound if exported from San Juan del
Sur or via San Juan del Norte river.
This one-half per pound difference is
in favor of Corinto, although it is SER
iously against the interests of many
coffee estates in the departments of
Choutals, Granada and Riva, and is
for the purpose of influencing ship
ments TO be made over the national
railroad, extending from Granada to
Corinto. The aggregate of this tax to
the government of Nicaragua in 1895
will be about $685. 900. or at the pres
ent rate of exchange, about s132,OOO in
gold.