Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-04-17
NICARACUA'S PLIGHT.
Her Response Is Not at All Satisiilc-
tory TO Great Britain.
United States Made No "Pr0-
l.. test" In the Matter.
England Will Act Firmly, but Is Not Likely
nEU ,. 10 Bombard Greyiown.

WASHINGTON. April 1.-THE announce
Nicaraguan response to her ultimatuin to
be insufficient was fully expected at tho
state department..
This response In substance amounts to a
proposition to refer to arbitration tho do
mand for n $75. 900 indemnity for tho ex-
pulslon OF Consular Agent Hatch, and It
Is said that 1t would be very unusual for
such course to be pursued In the case Of
demand for smart money"
Such demand differs entirely from a
demand made for injuries sustained by
private citizens, inasmuch as it Is based
upon the idea that tho honor OF Great
Britain has sustained smirch through
the humiliation Of It's official.
Mr.. Bayard, our ambassador ut London,
has been using his good Offices TO bring
about peaceable settlement OF the dis
pute in Washington. Secretary Gresham
has been counselling the Nicaraguan min
lister, Dr. Guzman. probably to make such
concessions as may be consistent with
Nicaragua's national honor.
At the same time it Is known that the
secretary has entertained doubt OF the
soundness OF the British contention Of u
right to claim reparation for the expulsion
of its consular agent IL he has really been
guilty OF fomenting rebellion during the
Bluetields disturbances last year, and
this he has probably communicated to the
British government as n reason why 1t
should not be over hasty and dictatorial in
the treatment Of a
Small and Defenseless Nation.
1t is not believed that the state depart
ment has gone SO far as to serve formal
notice on Great Britain (though earnest
peace representations have been made)
that she must not lombard Greytown,
however for that, it Is said, would be
equivalent to q declaration that no Eu.
ropean power may hereafter wage war
upon any of the American republics, even
In q cause involving. as Is claimed in this
case, the national honor, and 1t Is quite
certain that every one Of the powers would
repudiate such suggestion.
But, In the present instance, it is felt
here that there is little probability that
Great Britain would proceed to such an
extreme course as bombardment of a
town in which the largest interests were
owned by foreigners with whose nations
she had no quarrel, and 1t is much more
likely that even II Nicaragua should
unally reIuSe TO mee6 Cno COnulClOnS OF the
ultimatum the British would essay to col.
lect indemnity from the Nicaraguan GUS
toms
No Protest.
1t is learned that the state department
has mado no ''protest" against any pro-
posed British action in Nicaragua, for the
reason that the British government has
regarded the issue between itself and
Nicaragua as one in which no other ma
tion can have any concern, and has not ac-
quainted the government of the United
States with It's exact purposes
The only statement of the attitude of
the state department which can be OBJ
tanned is the declaration that the map of
Nicaragua will not be changed by any ac-
tion on the part Of Great Britain. This
means that Great Britain will not be per.
mitted TO acquire any of the territory of
Nicaragua, even under color of the cid
protectorate over the Mosquito reserva-
tion, which originally extended southwark
to the San Juan river, and so commanded
the eastern approach to the proposed Mic
aragua canal, 90 the construction of which
the United States now stands committed
by the action of the last congress.