The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-04
EFFECTS NICARAGUAN CANAL,
BOUNDARY DISPUTE BETWEEN
COSTA RIGA AND NICARAGUA.
The Old Controversy Again Bobs Up
serenely-The Decision Of Cleve-
lands Arbitrator Does Not Suit
Senior Calvo-Tells His Side Of the
Case.

Washington, Oct. 3.-Senor Calvo, the
tention to a publication regarding the
rights of Costa Rica in the delta of the
San Juan river, a matter which has a
strong bearing on the future of the
Nicaraguan canal project. The pub
lished statement was as follows:
General Alexander decides that "the
boundary between the two republics
shall commence at the extremity of
Punta de Castillo, at the mouth of the
river San Juan and shall continue fol-
lowing the right bank-tffe 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 a place that puts
the San Juan river and its delta wholly
within the territory of Nicaragua. Nj
caragua owns the river Sumpo Imperio
as part of her domain. and exercises
over it all rights of sovereignty and do
main. Greytown, instead of being on
Costa Rican soil. as was contended, is
determined to be on Nicaraguan. The
whole claim of the Costa Rtcans thus
falls to the ground"
SENIOR CALYO'S OBJECTION.
In this contention, Senior Calvo said:
This statement not being correct, l
deem it convenient to present the facts
as they are. The limits between Costa
Rica and Nicaragua 13 years after this
treaty was in existence and respected
by the two countries, a long contention
followed, and 16 years afterwards the
subject was submitted to the decision
of President Cleveland, as arbitrator,
who, by his award of March 90, 1885,
declared the treaty to be valid, as Cos
ia Rj0Q 0laiV1nd AlthOJIpb tho ava rd
was accepted by both parties, and not
WithStanding 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 Saliva
dor offered last year its fraternal me-
diation,' and through its good offices
convention was signed in order to es-
tablish the form in which the boundary
line will be materially marked. Ac-
cording with the provisions of this con-
vention. the two governments requested
the appointment by the president Of the
United States of an engineer to act as
an arbitrator in any case of disagree
ment between the two respective sur
veying commissions of the two coun-
tries, and President Cleveland appoint
ed General p. Alexander of George
town, S. c.
Senior Calvo reviews the work of the
commission and concludes: In regard
to the river San Juan and the canal
projected I want but to remind you
that Costa RIGA has always maintained
the validity of the treaty of limits, and,
as stated in President Cleveland s
award: The republic of Costa Rica
can deny to the republic of Nicaragua
the right of deviating the waters of the
river San Juan, in case such deviation
will result in the destruction or Sc
rious impairment of the navigation of
the said river or any of its branches,
at any point where Costa Rica is enti-
tied TO navigate the same Finally,
besides the natural rights of Costa Bica
and defined in the same award, the
republic of Nicaragua remains bound
not to make any more grants for canal
purposes across her territory without
first asking the opinion of the republic
of Costa Rica, as provided in article S
of the treaty Of limits of the 18th of
April 1858 The natural rights of the
republic of Costa Rica, alluded to in the
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 belorg-
ing exclusively to her; the rights which
she possesses III the harbors Of San
Juan del Norte and Salinas bay, ETC."