The record-union., 1895-04-25
Special to the RECoRD-Uvrov.

special to the RECOED-UNTOv.
WAsHNGTON, April 2L--Exact official
information has been received as to Great
Brtain's belligerent steps in Nicaragua.
British troops are to be landed at Corinto.
Custom houses are to he occupied and
BRUSH officers are to exercise the fuuc-
tions OF collectors Of customs. At the
same time Nicaraguan local commerce is
to be crippled by blockade.
The United States coast defense vessel
Monterey is still at Acapulco, about 500
miles north OF Corinto. She is expected
to sail southwark very soon, but no spo-
ciaI orders have been sent her since she
sailed from San Diego.
As to the landing of British marines at
Corinto. it is stated by officials that this
WIIl not menace or Gudaugcr the interests
of the United States. or other fnrefrnrrg
Ihe case OF tne British bomburument OF
Alexandria Is cited to show tho British
pollcy toward foreigners az a threatened
point IN THAT case Great Britain wished
10 strike Egypt, but to do so she was COM
PEELED TO InJure some foreign interg,t. AZ
Alexandra. Notice was therefore glyou
that foreign Interests would be- protected
with every preCautIOu possible ana If
Jhey were injured as an incident to the
aIJack, compensation would bo made
subsequently the few foreign interests
which suffered were voluntarily reuluf-
Grated by Great Britain. IL is said tLe
same policy Will be used at COrlnto. Great
care VIII be taken 10 protect foreign in
terests, and should the latter suffer in
directly they Will be compensated Tor
loss.
Sir Julian Pauncofote, the British En-
paSS2uor, has not been advised bv the
nome Government as to the COntemplated
blockade ana landing OF troops Al Mica
ragua. But In British circles TIN, courso
mas been accepted as certain for soma
time. Such assurances AS Great Britain
mas gwen TO the United States have hecn
qulries.
Corinto is the best port Of the Central
American states on The PaCiIiC Coast IL
IS most important to Nicaragua, as It Is
the terminus Of the line OF the Central
Railroad.
The port of San Juan Del Sur has
AaIDOF OF average Size, and is in COM
muuIcatiOu with Lake Nicaragua by q
macadam road built by the New York
ana California Transit COuBany CO.
rnto IS the heaviest import uOint i'm
Nicaragua. The imports there for lsgl-ag
were So, ,9gO,SU0, while all imports at other
points uId uoJ exceed 100000. 1t is eyi-
dent from this why the British chose
CorInto for their strike. Almost ono
laiF OF the imports at Corinto are from
Great britain, so that the British seizure
OF the CustOm-hOuso Will result in ltFeIr
receiving the customs due from British
merchant ships.
AS the Corinto imports average about
SJUJOJJ monthly, ii would not take loutr
Tor Great britain to appropriate the -T- -
UUU indemnity demanded. The tariff rafas
oI Nicaragua are such that the 50. .UOj-g5
OF imports IN 1881 yielded SI,OJS,4I3 IN
customs duties. Most OF this was COL
iGGLeu at IOTlnLO. = tbiG
celptS at CorIntO would reach SO 900
within thirty days, unless commerce.
was diverted 10 other ports.
1t ls a significant fact that the Iarrast
part OF Nlcaragua's foreign debt is repre-
sented by bonds held in London and nav
able there in 1899. This foreign delhi az
gregaJes 3, 1925. The London holders
nave thus TAR received the interest on the
bonds very promptly. If, however. Nicar-
aqua IS crippled by the seizure of her
customs receipts, it may react by failure
to meet the interest on the bonds held in
London.
The diplomatic representatives of the
central and South American republics
are very much disturbed bv this late
feature OF the case (the meeting of bond
oDIlgatIons), for they fear it opens vista
of endless trouble and aggression i'm tho
future. Their idea is that once Creat
Britain has been permitted, without in
terIGEenC6, to collect this special in
demnity, she will avail herself of the ex-
cuse offered by the failure OF Nicaragua
To meet her interest payments on foreign
debts 10 assume the task Of collecting this
forclDIy III the same manner, notyvith-
standing the TACT that the failure NAV be
brought about by her own seizure of the
customs receipts which were To be an
piled to the payment of their interest.
OF course this would neCessiJate the Oc-
cupatlou OF CorintO after the original in
demniLy shall have been collected, which
would only add to the distress of Mica
ragua, and should she be then unable, as
seems likely, to meet this last demand.
tie occupancy may be prolonged so in
definitely as to amount to permanent
occupation Of the territory.
Tins is the reasoning of the South
Americans, and they find individual
cause of apprehension in the fact that al
most all Of these little republics owe
sums of money to European bOndholders
on account of interest or princlpaI of
national debts, and they lear that for the
first time the principle may be laid down
and enforced that Il European Govorn-
ment may assume the collection of debts
owing to its citizens as individuals and
not to the European uations-a doctrine
which, they assert, would be particularly
obnoxious il applied to some of the States
OF the American Union.
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THE NAVY IN TROUBLE.