The herald., 1895-06-03
MISSED A GREAT PRIZE
The British Fleet Left COrintO
Too Soon
INVOICE OF WAR MATERIAL
Arrived on an English Vessel and Was
Landed
Guns and Ammunition Enough for 5000
Nicaraguan Soldiers-t Was Close
Call for the War Hateriai
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua. May Is. via.
New York, June 2.-If the British had
occupied Corinto little longer than they
did they would have been able to capture
a Britishisteamer, the Delay, which ar
rived there two days ago, loaded with a
full supply of modern, improved field
artillery. rifles and ammunition for about
5000 officers ana soldiers of the Nicara-
guam army, and Admiral Stephenson
would thus have been able TO collect the
Is, 900 pounds claimed by Great Britain
as indemnity from Nicaragua without any
difficulty. The British warship sailed
away on May 18th and this most valuable
cargo arrived at Corinto on May 10th
under the British flag, to the great de-
light of the Nicaraguan authorities who
feared that the supply of war material
would fall into the hands of the British
1t is considered mole than likely that
Admiral Stephenson would have seized
and detained the Delay until the indem-
nifty was paid and there is "a great deal
of rejoicing here at its escape, for it
would have made an admirable substitute
Tor the port and customs duties OF Co
rinto which the British admiral was pre-
vented from collecting by the fact that
the Nicaruagan 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 material and satisfied
Great Britain S claim against Nicaragua
by its sale, that the act would have so
thoroughly Inundated the present gov
ernment Of Nicaragua as to have caused
it's overthrow at once by revolution.
1t is not doubted that Admiral Stephen
son could have taken possession OF the
Debay's 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 govern
ment of Nicaragua.
Then. again, people here insist that
Great Britain was desirous of obtaining
a coalng station on the island of Corinto
and another coalng station on Corn is
land, 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 to cause the
overthrow of the present government OF
Nicaraguans of her own choosing. and
there are some prominent natives OF that
country who are very fond OF Great Brit
ain. 1t is claimed by the irritated here
that Admiral Stevenson and several of
his officers while at Corinto on April
possession OF the port and island, pub
Hcly -u'-','-jr:s rsSI.itni many persons, among
whom was mn Tisdale, a United
States citizen and the agent for the Pacific
Mail Steamship company. that the Mon
roe doctrine so often referred to in the
United States press and by the people is
a myth; that the United States would
not, and could not if they desired, en-
force it, and it is added that the British
officers asserted that the occupation OF
Corinto was intended to test the ques-
t!on. 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 any such state
ments.
The export OF the coffee crop of 1894
from this country is now sc nearly COM
pleted that fair estimate can be made
it will amount to 10000, 200 pounds.
against about 13. 600, 900 last year. The
season for gathering coffee and prepar-
ing for the market has been very favor
able and the quality is unusually good.
The price in Europe and int the United
to % cents gold per pound. The export
tax IS 2 cents Nicaraguan currency per
pound. if exported from San Juan del
Sur or via San Juan del Norte liver. This
one-half per pound difference in favor of
Corinto. although seriously against the
interests OF many OF tne COIIee cSuateS IN
The departments of Choutols, Granada
and Riva, is for the purpose of influence
ing shipments to be made over the ma
tlonaI railroad, extending fIom the town
of Granada to the port of Corinto. The
aggregate Of this tax to the government
of Nicaragua this year will be about S245.
600. or at the present rate of exchange
about $132 900 gold. This money is usu-
ally advanced to the government by
bank, and exporters go to that bank for
their tax certificates and permission to
ship. Mercantile and all other kinds of
business in Nicaragua appear to have
revived to their former activity since the
evacuation of Corinto by the British
army and many of the soldiers, volun-
teers and enlisted men in the Nicaraguan
army for defense against the British ad-
vance into her territory have returned to
their usual occupations. The government,
however. is actively preparing to submit
to arbitration all questions at issue be-
tween Nicaragua and Great Britain that
have arisen out of Nicaragua 8 successful
efforts in 1893 and 1894 to maintain her
sovereignty over the Mosquito reserva-