Evening star., 1895-04-30
PLAIN TALK
Senator Morgan Has Something to
Say About Nicaragua.
TEE ADMINISTRATION NOT CRITICISED
But He Intimates That Congress
May Have to Act.
BRITAIN's AGGREssIoNs

BRITAIN'S AGGRESSIONS
''There Is absolutely nothing In the pres
ent trouble in Nicaragua to warrant the
to the interests of the canal that is pro-
jected across the isthmus."
This was the answer given by Senator
John T. Morgan, chairman of the commit
tee on foreign relations of the Senate to
the query of a Star reporter this morning.
The Senator was at his home on Az street,
and the reporter had asked him If the l'res-
ent muddle between Great Britain and
Nicaragua would in any way interfere
with the ultimate construction of the canal.
Senator Morgan is, of all men, in or out of
Congress. posted thoroughly on the subject
Of the interoceanic canal, having made
most exhaustive study of every phase of
the question. AS chairman of the commit
tee on foreign relations he managed the
bill for the issue of government bonds in
aid of the project through the successful
fight of last winter and has kept in touch
with the matter in all of it's stages.
1.-The Nicaragua canal" he continued,
will be, must be built. The American peo-
pie are beginning to realize how much this
project means to their interests, their pros
perity, their safety. They have now come
to the point of knowing what the canal
means and of understanding It's vast i'm
portance to them. They see, as others have
seen for decades, that it is folly longer
to continue to hug the coasts. to round
Cape Horn with their commerce, to prac-
tically b!sect the country by separating
the Pacific from the Atlantic coast by neg
lecting to provide this natural means of
communication. Without the canal the
United States, so far as its general COM
merce Is concerned, is at the mercy Of the
he ia
obliged to pay the highest rates for the
transmission of goods, rates that almost
wholly absorb the value Of the commodi-
ties themselves. The lack Of a canal obliges
US to maintain two navies instead Of one
and thus greatly increases the cost Of our
national defense.
Shall England Block the Canal.
There Is no longer any argument against
the necessity or the value of this canal.
The question is now whether Great Britain
should be allowed to block the project and
prevent its final realization. In answer to
that question l will say emphatically that
do not think for a moment that the canal
project will be endangered by the present
state Of things in Nicaragua or by any
other complication that may ever arise
there. l believe that Congress at its next
session will, If nothing shall be done mean
while by the authorized powers now in
authority, effectually and finally stop the
ly prevent her gaining a foothold at this
most important point on the American
continent. Congress, in my opinion, will
cEeckmate the whole game. Congress is
the American people; it is backed by the
sentiment of the people, and think know
today pretty nearly what the sentiment of
the American people is on the subject of
foreign aggression. There are, say, 2I5OOO
people in the city of Washington. 1 pre-
sumo 100000 of those people can and do
read the newspapers. They therefore know
all the essential phases of this present
case, and 1 doubt If 5000 Of those people
no, hardly 1,0O0-do not today feel within
them burning indignation against the
present situation; strong desire to do
something to drive this Intruder from
American shores. think that Washington
Is fair sample Of other American cities in
this regard.
Micro mt Stake Than the Monroe Doc
trinc.
1.-THE question Iow comes, why should
We resent the attitude of Great Britain
In this case? There is ag ood deal of talk
about the Monroe doctrine and the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty. but, don't you know,
that talk makes me very tired. This case
has gone far beyond the Monroe doctrine
far beyond the Clayton-Bulwer treaty
1t has character that is distinctly its
own, and that rests upon higher grounds
than any doctrine or any treaty ever made
or enunciated The United States and the
governments Of Nicaragua and Costa Rica
have entered into a solemn compact with
each other looking to the construction of
this great maritime highway; the COM
pany, composed mostly of citizens of the
United States, is organized and starts the
work. These subjects of the United States
have paid out five or six million dollars in
furtherance of the enterprise and have
at all times stood ready to complete the
canal without any Intervention or aid on
the part of the United States. 1 repeat
fhaf fhnv hay NO rod for fha j,,fa
encc of Congress. They have been ready
TO complete the canal ana %re ready to do
"Now comes Great Britain, with that
marked her course throughout the history
of modern times, and upon the simmest of
pretexts, the most absurd Of excuses,
makes a demand upon the government of
Nicaragua that she does not expect TO be
complied with, and all in the hope that
through the default of the weaker govern
ment she will be enabled to establish a
sovereignty over the territory and thus
control the future development of the canal
and Of the traffic that may pass through
1t. And yet here stand these three gov
ernmerts, bound together by the solemn
compact, in a practical partnership, the
object of which is to prevent any foreign
interference with this great International
project. It is bosh for people to talk about
this interference being violation Of the
Monroe doctrine or of the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty It is a violation Of the plainest
kind of business and moral principles.
No Criticism of the Administration.
II have no criticism to make of the ad-
ministration, for the simple reason that I
do not know what the administration has
done in the present emergency. 1 have
conversed with no officer of the govern
ment who is in a position to understand
the policy now being carried out, and am
wholly ignorant of the state of affairs. I
presume"-and the Senator gave particular
emphasis to the word-"that the admins
tration has done the right thing; that it
has adhered to American principles ard
has insisted upon the plain rights of this
country and of Nicaragua. I do not know
that such is the case, but in the absence of
any information 1 am assuming that the
administration is taking the right course.
So have no criticism to offer of the atti-
tude of the administration, but can say
this positively-if it should prove that The
administration has not done what I believe
to be the right thing in the premises-that
is to say, has not taken steps to prevent
Great Britain from squeezing this little
government and of obtaining lien upon
it-then Congress at its next session will,
am convinced, give utterance in no Tn
certain terms and demand the withdrawal
of all British interests from the Nicara-
guam territory.