The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-03-17
FOREIGN QUESTIONS.
SOME THAT WILL CONFRONT
THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.

Interest In the Cuban Situation - The
Alaskan Boundary and the Protection
of the Seals-The Hawaiian Question.
Our Relations With Other Countries
Probably never before in American his
tory has an administration been obliged to
face at the very beginning of its aSsump-
ton of power so many and important ques-
tions affecting the foreign relations of the
United States as confront President Nc
Kinley and his premier, Secretary Sher-
man. All of these are important and.
while some of them may be for a time
kept in the background, others, and those
of the utmost gravity, are likely to force
themselves upon the attention of the new
administration in such persistent manner
that they must be met promptly. In the
list of open diplomatic issues are some old
veterans, questions that were running
along in diplomatic, time killing fashion
when President Harrison turned over the
helm of the ship of state to President
Cleveland, but the latter, in his time and
with the best of intentions, and in spite of
the most heroic efforts, was obliged to add
to the list and make new issues of his own
that he was unable to bring to a conclu-
sion before he, in turn, gave way to Presi-
dent Mckinley
Foremost and of the greatest interest to
the people of the United States because of
the strife that is being waged under their
very eyes, is the subject of our relations to-
ward Cuba. For over two years the insur-
rection on the "ever faithful isle" has gone
on, and from the confusion of reports that
reach the department of state it is not pos
sible to accurately and surely ascertain the
exact conditions of this struggle, which, as
President Cleveland has stated in his mes
sages to congress, has involved in itself in
terests of enormous value to citizens of the
United States
1t is understood to be the desire of the
new administration, after securing full
protection and respect for American citi-
zens in Cuba, to deal with this matter de-
liberately and not to make any abrupt and
radical change of general policy until, at
least, our important internal financial af-
fairs are adjusted. But the subject is of
an explosive nature, and it is not safe to
predict that through some overt and out
rageous act of subordinate among either
the Spanish forces or in the insurgent
lines-something like the Virginius affair
be forced to depart from its plans and di-
rect its attention at short notice to this
dangerous subject
One of the issues that were carried over
from the Harrison administration is the
subject of Hawaiian annexation The citi-
zens of the little island republic have come
to look upon the Republicans as their
friends, and they will seek, with the aid of
powerful friends in and out of congress, to
induce the president to negotiate new
annexation treaty at the earliest moment.
With the mother country-England-
our relations are so founded on reasonable
and mutual consideration that there is no
ground for apprehension that the subjects
pressing for the consideration of the diplo-
matte agencies will not yield in the end to
the usual methods Of treatment. This is
fortunate for the welfare of both countries.
as some of these questions are of the great
est Importance and are easily capable, if
treated in harsh and uncompromising
spirit, of becoming the sources of open
rupture.
OF such is the Alaskan boundary ques-
ton and the proposed extensions of the
regulations for the protection of the seals
In Boring sea. In the first instance,
though some progress has been made by
the negotiation OF treaty providing for
the location of the one hundred and forty
nrst meridian, which forms the boundary
line In tile northern portion of Alaska. the
most difficult phase yet awaits final treat
ment-namely, the drawing of the bound
airy line IN the southeast, made peculiarly
troublesome because of theabsolute failure
OF the original treaty of cession to follow
well defined geographical lines. Neverthe-
less the last administration took the initial
steps toward a settlement of this Question
This was one of the matters which were to
have come first under consideration had
the general arbitration treaty been ratified
and, if this compact is long delayed in con
Guiding, the southeast boundary question
may have to be settled by separate and
special arbitration
M As to the protection of seal life in Be
~ ring sea, there are signs of unrest that in
dictate necessity of early e..l decided &C