The San Francisco call., 1898-12-06

that recognition was qualified by the dis tinct understanding that the responsibility of each of the component sovereign repub- lies toward the United States remained wholly unaffected.
 This provision was needful, inasmuch as the compact of the three republics was at the outset an association whereby cer- tain representative functions were dele gated to tripartite commission rather than a federation possessing centralized tration. In this view of the relation of the United States to the several re- publics, change in the representation of this country in Central America was neither recommended by the executive or initiated by Congress, thus leaving one of our Envoys accredited as heretofore sep arately to two States of the Greater Re public, Nicaragua and Salvador, and to third State, Costa Rica, which was not a party to the compact, while our other Envoy was similarly accredited to the union State of Honduras and the non- union State of Guatemala. The result has been that the one presented credentials only to the President of Costa Rica, the other having been received only by the Government of Guatemala.
 Subsequently the three associated re- publics entered into negotiations for mak- Ing the steps forecast in the original com pact A convention of their delegates framed for them a federal constitution lAc ildIl6 OI the OnlIeQ states or central America and provided for a cen- tId 1eqeraI Government and Legisla- Ste Sure Upon ratification by constituent states, the 1st of November last was fixed 1Ur W tne new system to go into operation. WIhln a lew weeks therafter the plan was was severely tested by revolutionary movements nnord sH arising, with consequent de- HuIaho Tor unity of action on the part of t tne military power of the federal States 10 suppress them. Under this strain the tbro,'titi uLion seems to have been weakened a al of P@oI @ @Itan1 members. This Government was not ofhcially advised of the installation ettiti'd tre teaseraton and has maintained an Sao acuIuoe tc or friendly expectancy, while in no wise relinquishing the position held rom rpm the outset that the responsibilities of , Ine several States toward us remained unaltered by their tentative raIatinns among themselves i'
 1he Nicaragua Canal Commission un
 '"e chalrmanship of Rear Admiral Importance of pointed July A, @ 1897. aR- ap-
 Nicarer, der the authority of a
 ua provision m the sundry
 Canal Work. CIVIL act of June of
 that year, has nearly tho ros,,,. completed its labors and lhe proper route the feasibility and tbe cost or construction of an interoceanic fsHdr baFara oy a Niearaguan route will be laid DeIore you. In the performance of its work the commission received ali nossihts hts courtesy and assistance from the goVerno w5inh Iu5nJs th, or Nlcarag9a and Costa Rica, nT the importance of giving d sneedv ana practical outcome to the project that has TOT TOT so many years engrossed the attention or the respective countries
 AS the scope of recent inquiry enohracad tne whole subject, with the aim of mak ing plans and surveys for a canal by the most convenient route, it necesSa rily in cIuded review of the results of nreyious surveys and plans, and in particular those adopted ;la9p by the Maritime Canal Company, under its existing concessions iron, Tico ragua and Costa Rica, so that to this eI- tent these grants necessarily held an es sentlal part in the deliberations and con cluslonS or the Canal Commission as they | have held and must needs hold in the l discussion of the matter by Congress. ITn- | der these circumstances and in view of | overtureS made to the governments of | and Costa Rica by other nar ties for a new canal concession predicated ! on the assumed approaching lapse of the I CotsraGts co II, or the Maritime Canal Company with those states, have not hesitated | to express my convictions that considera- | tons Of expediency and international | policy, as between the several govern ments interested in the construction and | control of an interoceanic canal by this | route require the maintenance of the | status @ quo until the Canal Commission 1 shall have reported and the United States , Congress shall have had the opportunity | to pass finally upon the whole matter dur | ing the present session without prejudice i by reason of any change in the existing | 
 Nevertheless, it appears that the gov of Nicaragua, as one of its last 1 sovereign acts before merging its mowers ! in those of the newly formed United | States of Central America, has granted | an optional concession to another asso- citation to become effective on the eXpira- ton of the present grant. It does not ap- pear what surveys have been made or what route is proposed under this con- tingent grant, so that an examination ! of the feasibility of its plans is necessarily l not embraced in the report of the Canal | Commission. All these circumstances Sug- | gest the urgency of some definite action | by Congress at this session if the labors | of the past are to be utilized and the -iink- ing of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by | a practical waterway is to be realized. | That the construction of such a maritime l pensable to that intimate and ready inter communication between our eastern and | western SeaboardS demanded by the an- neXation of the Hawaiian Islands and the prospective expansion of our influnece and commerce to the Pacific, and that our national policy now more imperatively Government, are propositions which I doubt not Congress will duly appreciate and wisely act upon.
 A convention providing for the revival of the late United States and Chilean Claims Commission and the consideration of claims which were duly presented to the late commission, but not considered because of the expiration of the time linn it for the duration of the commission was signed May 24, 1897, and has remain ed unacted upon by the Senate. The  change of notifications having elapsed, the convention falls, unless the time be ex- tended by amendment, which I am en- deavoring to bring about with the friendly concurrence of the Chilean Government. |
 The United States has not been an indif- | ferent spectator of the extraordinary
 events transpiring in Extraordinary the Chinese Empire,
 whereby portions of it's
 Events maritime provinces are
 ;, r1,;oo passing under the con-
 III OH1Ha. trol of various Euro
 pean powers; but the prospect that the vast commerce which the energy of our citizens and the necessity of our staple productions for Chinese uses has built up in those regions may not be prejudiced through any exclusive treat ment by the new occupants has obviated the need of our country becoming act in the scene.
 Our position among nations having a large Pacific coast and a constantly ex- banding direct trade with the farther Orient, gives us an equitable claim to consideration and friendly treatment in this regard and 1t will be my aim to sub- serve our large interests in that quarter by all means appropriate to the constant