The herald., 1897-10-04
Claims Certain Rights for
Costa Rica
GEN. ALEXANDER'S DECISION
WAS NOT WARRANTED BY THE
EVIDENCE
The Matter Is Important as Bearing
on the Future Of the Canal
Project

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, Oct 3.-Senor Calvo,
the Costa Rican minister, today called
attention to a publication regarding the
rights of Costa Rica in the Delta of.the
San Juan river, a matter which has
strong bearing on the future of the
Nicara guam canal project. The published
statement was as follows:
General Alexander decided "that the
boundary between the two republics
Nicaragua and Costa Rica) shall COM
mence at the extremity Of Funta del
Castillo, at the mouth Of the San Juan,
and shall continue, following the right
bank (the Costa Rica bank) of said
river until a point is reached three miles
from Castilloviejo."
He located this point, according to the
treaty stipulations. at place that puts
the San Juan river and its delta wholly
within the territory of Nicaragua.
Nicaragua owns the river, summo I'M
perio, as part Of her domain and exer-
cises over it all the rights Of sover-
eighty and domain.
Greytown, instead Of being on Costa
Rican soil, as was contended, is deter
mined to be in Nicaragua. The whole
claim of the Costa Ricans thus falls to
the ground.
In this connection Senor Calvo said:
This statement not being correct, l
deem it my duty to state the facts: Inc
limits between Costa Rica and Nicara-
qua thirteen years. after this treaty was
in existence and respected by the Two
countries long contention followed,
and sixteen years afterward the SUBJECT
was submitted to the decision OF Presi-
dent Cleveland as arbitrator, who by his
award of March %, 1888, declared the
treaty to be valid, as Costa Rica claimed.
Although the award was accepted by
both parties and now stands, the friend
ly efforts Of the government OF Costa
Rica to have the boundary line marked
by monuments remained unfruitful and
the work remained unfinished, not on
account of any omission on the part
of Costa Rica. The government of Sal
vador offered last year it's fraternal
mediation and through its good offices
a convention was signed in order to es-
tablish the form in which the boundary
line will be materially marked. Accord
ing to the provisions Of the convention
the two governments were requested
| to appoint engineers, and the Unlted
| States was requested to appoint an en-
gineer in case of disagreement, to ac;
as arbitrator, and President Cleveland
appointed Gen. P. Alexander of George
town, S. c."
Senor Calvo reviews the work of this
commission and concludes:
"In regard to the river San Juan and
the canal project, I want but to remind
you that Costa Rica has always main
tanned the validity of the treaty of linn
its, and, as stated in Preslden. Cleve-
! lands award: The republic Of Costa
Rica can deny to the republic Of Mica
ragua the right of deviating the waters
Of the river San Juan, in case such de-
Walton 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 re-
mains bound not to make any grants
for canal purposes across her territory
without first asking the opinion and
consent of the republic Of Costa Rica
as provided in article of the treaty OF
limits of the 18th of April, 1883.
The natural rights Of the republic OF
Costa Rica alluded to in said. stipulation
are the rights which, in view Of tbs
boundaries fixed by the said treaty o!
limits, she possesses in the soil thereby
recognized as belonging exclusively tc
her, the rights which she possessed ir
the harbors of San Juan del Norte and
Salinas bay, etc.