Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-03-19
MONROE DOCTRINE.
Situation That Calls for an In.
depreciation Thereof.
NICARAGUA GETS AN ULTIMATUM

Great Britain Being at the Other End
Thereof and y Warship Sent Along - IN
sEarnest Of Good Faith"-Your Uncle
Samuel Ruled Out OF a Proposed Com
mi-sion-A Question Of Great Gravity
for the state Department.
WASHINGTON, March 19-The following
dispatch has been received from Man
aqua, Nicaragua, dated March Is: 1.-The
British government, through its minister
here, has submitted an ultimatum to
Nicaragua. 1t demands q cash indemnity
OF fl5,OOO as smart money to pay for
the expulsion of Mr.. Hatch, British con-
sular agent at Bluefields during the
troubles there last year, and also the ap-
pointment of a commission to adiudicate
the damages sustained by the persons and
property of British subjects who were ex-
PEELED from the Mosquito reservation
about the same time. BY the terms of the
ulrimatum Great Britain is to name
one of the commissioners and Nicaragua
another, and these two are to choose a
third who shall not be a citizen of the
United States. 1t was also made known
that British warship is now on her way
to Nicaragua to enforce these demands,
which must be complied with within
seven weeks from the 18th of February
last, the date of the ultimatufn."
Alliance Business Is Nowhere.
1t is impossible to learn positively
whether the state department has been
fully advised officially Of the severe de-
mands made upon Nicaragua by Great
Britain as reported in the above dispatch.
but from the, fact that General Barrios,
who was appointed an ambassador by the
Nicaraguan government to endeavor to
settle their differences with Great Britain,
has been in Washington for a week and
has paid several visits to the state depart
ment in company with DIR. GuZman, the
resident Nicaraguan minister, it is as
sumed that our own government is fully
posted in regard to the matter. 1t cannot
be denied that this new incident, taken
in connection with the hostile attitude Ut
Great Britain towards our sister republic
Of Venezuela, promises to lead to trouble
of character much more serious than the
little incident Of the Alliance.
Monroe Doctrine Bobs Up Again.
The adr.i i'tration is evidently about
to be put in position where it must lay
down low construction of the Monroe
doctrine or else abandon all concern in
the future of the smaller republics of Gen.
trail ard South America In Venezuela 1t
is al ege that the British are steadily ex-
ten ing their boundary line and encroach-
ing upon Venezuelan territory in spite of
tn ,trong protests of the Venezuelan
government and the repeated urging of
e United States that the question of
boundary should be settled by a resort to
arbitr ,tion, not Of a part Of the question,
sxclu ling the main issue as desired by
GIcag Britain, but by the submission of
She whole issue.
Incie sam Has q Big Contract.
But there are also questions OF in.
temnity arising in Venezuela growing
cut of claims preferred by other European
Ia ions, and there are indications noted
by iicials here to show that these are be-
in: pressed by concerted action. Many
Of he claims for indemnity grow out of
tn failure Of these republics to mees their
obligations to foreign debtors under the
stress of hard times and the influence of
I'll worldwide depression in trade. As
the European governments appear to be
moving to collect these individual debts
on tn ,ir own account, it Is "a question
that the United States must speedily set
tie as TO how far it is prepared 40 permit
.hjs process to go on
What Will Probably he Done.
As to Nicaragua it is felt here that the
terms Of the British ultimatum are un-
duly severe. Besides there is a rather dis.
agreeable reflection upon American citi-
zcns in the stipulation that none such
shall serve on the commission to adjudge
the damage. On the whole it is more
than probable that the president will in.
terposc to secure mt least an amelioration
of the terms of the ultimatum by an APP
zeal to the British government. represent.
ing the great hardship that it would work
to Nicaragua under her present depressed
condition To prefer demand for so large
an indemnity as S15,o0O.