The San Francisco call., 1897-10-04
Old Boundary Line Con-
tention Revived by
a Publication.
Has a Strong Bearing on the
NiCaraguan Canal
Project.
Minister Calvo Corrects a State
ment and Quotes Grover
Cleveland.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. Oct. 3.-Senor
Calvo, the Costa Rican Minister, to-day
called attention to a publication regard
ing the rights of Costa Rica in the delta
OF the San Juan r Yer, matter which
has strong bearing on the future of the
Nicaraguan canal project. The pu blished
statement was as follows:
General Alexander decides tn at "the boun-
dary between the two republics shall CON-
mence at the extremity of Punta de CastiIla
al tne mopt III OF the river San Juan, and shall
continue following the right bank-the Costa
hlca bank-oI SAID river until a point is
reached three miles from Castilioviejo."
he located this point, according to the
sreaty stpulatlons, at place that puts the
cAn Juan River and its delta wholly wi thin
Inc territory OF Nicaragua Nicaragua owns
the River Summo 1mperio as part of her do
main, ana exercises over ii all the rights of
sovereignty ana domain. Greytown, instead
OF being on Cos ia Rica soil, as was contended
is determined to be in Nicaragua The whole
claim OF the Costa Ricans thus fails to the
ground
In this connection Senior Calvo said:
This statement not being correct 1 deem
1t convenient to present the facts as they
are with regard to the limits between
Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Thirteen years
after this treaty was in existence and re-
scected bv the TWO countries long con-
tention followed, and sixteen years after
ward the subject was submitted to the
decision OF President Cleveland as arbi-
traitor, who, by his award of March %
1888, declared the treaty ito be valid, as
Costa Rica has claimed. Although the
award was accepted by both parties and
Notwithstanding the friendly efforts of
the Government of Costa Rica to have the
boundary line marked by monuments,
this work remained unfinished, not on
account OF any omission on the part of
Costa Rica.
The Government of Salvador offered
last year its fraternal mediation and
through its good offices a convention was
signed in order to establish the form in
which the boundary line will be materially
marked.
convention the two Govern ments request
ed the appointment by the President of
the United States of an engineer TO act as
an arbl traitor in any case of disagreement
between the two respective surveying
commissions of the two countries, and
President Cleveland appointed General 2.
Alexander OF Georgetown, S. c."
Senor Calvo reviews the work of this
commission, and concludes: "In regard
TO the River San Juan and the canal pro-
lected, L want to remind you that Costa
RIca has always maintained the validity
of the treaty of limits, and, as stated in
President Cieveland's award, the republic
u OOSto AsASd Sdb 10 tue
Nicaragua the right of deviatlng the
waters of the River San Juan, in case such
deviation will result In the destruction or
serious impairment of the navigation
of the said river, or any of
its branches. at any point where
Costa Rica is entitled to navigate the
same. Finally, besides the natural rights
of Costa Rica as defined in the same
award, the republic of Nicaragua remains
bound not to make any grants for canal
purposes across her territory without first
asking the opinion of Costa Rica, as pro-
vided in article VIII Of the treaty of limits
of the 18th of April, 1858.
1.-The natural rights of the republic of
Costa Rica alluded to in said stipulation
are the rights which. in view of the
boundaries fixed by the said treaty of
limits, she possesses in the soil thereby
recognized as belonging exclusively to
her-the IiEhts which she possessed in
the harbors of San Juan del Norte and
Salinas Bay, etc. "