Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-20
DISCUSS FOREIGN POLICY
National Conference Opens at Saratoga with
Prominent Men Present.
MILLER BooMs THE NICARAGUA CANAL

|
Carl schurs Delivers nm Address In
| Which lie Opposes National
| Extension of Our
| Territory.
| SARATOGA, N. Y, Aug. 19.--The national
conference on the foreign ,olicy of the
| United States was opened here today with
an address by Henry Wade Rogers Of Chi
| cago, chairman OF the committee OF arrange
| ments. Mr.. Rogers says that the confer
! ence was called to consider some OF the mo-
mentous questions In the history Of the re-
public. He spoke OF the war and returned
| prayerful thanks for the peace now at hand.
| While peace had arrived, he said, there were
| many serious problems to be considered. He
referred to the close friendship between the
Americans and British, which would
| promptly lead to international arbitration
| and finally to universal peace. The speaker
spoke favorably Of the Nicaragua canal,
| which he argued should be built and con-
| trolled by the United States government.
That canal would shorten the distance by
| water to San Francisco by 10000 miles. A
| reference to the trip of the battleshp Oregon
ELECTED hearty applause.
fore the present conference was that Of terri
| torial expansion, on which many distin-
guished men Of national reputation hold
| widely divergent views. Indirectly he re-
ferred to the positions respectively held by
the expansionists and the antiexpsnsionists.
Whether we should annex the colonies that
are lost to Spain or control them by carpet
bag governments is problem that has be-
come the most serious to Americans, who
should ponder wisely over 1t in order to not
make mistake Commercial interests urge
that we adopt colonial system. said Mr..
Rogers, "But business alone ought not to
control our conduct"
Speaks for the Canal.
The question Of the Nicaraguan canal was
taken up and Warner Miller of New York
took the platform. He briefly spoke of his
persistent advocacy Of the canal. Events of
the last three months demanded its imme-
diate construction and he believed the Amer
ican people were universally in favor of 1t
as were also all Of Europe. He spoke Of the
numerous surveys made Of every proposed
route to pierce the isthmus and said the
route by way of the Nicaragua canal has re-
ceived the greatest consideration as both
feasible and desirable. Mr.. Miller gave the
history of the Nicaragua route, beginning
with the administration of General Grant
and continuing down to the present time.
Had not the canal treaty been blocked by
antagonistic legislation years ago the canal
would have already been built and now in
actual OF Grafton. Financial distress for
number of years also hindered the work.
Distinguished senators have for years urged
the building Of the canal, but congress did
not act favorably upon it. The Nicaragua
10 cd foos sib 10
and far preferable to that of Panama. The
canal can be built for from $10O,OOOOOO to
s14O, 1000, ,OO0 as shown by statements
made by experts. Is the canal desir-
able? That the canal would reduce the
distance between New York and San Fran
cisco 0.OOO miles is alone a sufficient an
swer in the Affirmative. The railways and
canals of the country have made all sec
t!ons accessible and available and have in
creased the wealth Of the United States.
Railroads have been built In advance of
the population and have carried emigrants
to the western plains, where there is now
a teeming population developing the broad
acres.
Mr.. Miller referred to several canals that
have materially aided in opening UP the
country. The Nicaragua canal alone would
save us 10000 miles and would be a great
outlet for those states on the Pacific coast
The continent is gridironed with transcon-
tinental roads, but these do not alone af-
ford the advantages that could be secured
by canal. 1t Is question Of cheap
transportation and the Nicaragua canal
would solve the problem. Within ten years
after the completion of the canal, the popu,
lation Of the Pacific states will have in.
creased to 10,000O00 One Of the best re-
suits Of the Spanish American war is that
1t will compel the building of the Nicara.
guam canal.
The entire morning session was devoted
to discussion of the Nicaragua canal.
Discuss Colonial Expansion,
The colonial extension problem was taken
up at the afternoon session. Carl Schurz
OF New York spoke at length, giving tho
views of the anti-expansionists, whose cause
he advocated. He was opposed by Judge
+. s. Grosscup OF Chicago, who is an ear.
nest expansionist, and who spoke at great
length.
Judge Grosscup said. In part:
1 am among those. Mr.. President, who be-
lieve that the people Of the United States
can, without breach Of faith to the promises
OF our past or serious danger to the ex-
pectations Of our future, hold permanently
been occupied by our troops during the prog
ress OF the war. l am ready to go a step
lurther and assert that the obligations of
our duty toward mankind, and especially
toward the particular peoples who have
been drawn within the sphere Of our opero
tions and toward the future usefulness Of
ourselves. demand that we should hold per-
manently so much Of these, the captures Of
war, as are needed to round out the moral
purposes for which it was inaugurated and
the greater destiny upon which, as a nation,
we are about to enter. l challenge at The
outset the statement, so literally indulged
by our opponents, that, in taking this
stand, the American people are moved by
emotionalism or are deceived by general
lies.
wars are the thunderstorms of civiliza-
tlon; they never subside without clearing
the atmosphere Of much of its sultriness
The one through which we are Just passing
seems to have enveloped the people Of Amer
lea In new atmosphere. We see, more
clearly than ever before, the things that in
this world can be called our own and the
things that stand apart from us, the pos
sessions OF others; ourselves and our rela-
tions to the other nations OF the world as
distinct from ourselves. The air through
"hich We look is clearer, cur vision longer
and the outlines Of the future have taken on
distinctness that leaves us no longer in
ooubt which way to take up our course
Four months ago the ewes of the ma
tion were habitually turned iuwardlv unou