Griggs courier., 1898-12-08

past. 9 Neither revenge nor passion should
have place In the government. Until
there Is complete tranquility in the island
and stable government inauguratcd,
military occupation will be continued.
FRIENDLY RELATIONS.
Aside From the spanish War We Have
Had mo- Serious Foreign Troubles.
With the exception of the rupture with
Spain, the intercourse of the United
States with the great family Of nations
has been marked with cordiality, and the
close of the eventful year finds most of
the issues that necessarily arise in the
complex relations of sovereign states
adjusted representing no serious obstacle
to just and honorable solution by ami
cable agreement.
The president next touches upon the
serious strike and attendant loss of the
lives Of several miners, especially in rela-
tion to the demand of the Austrian gov
ernment for compensation to the families
of those of the men who were Austrian
subjects. He expresses confidence in an
amicable settlement of the question.
Nicaragua Canal.
The events in Central America, the
formation of the Central American repub-
lie and other events related thereto, are
are described, leading up to the Nicaragua
canal question, on which the president
says:
The NicaragCan canal commission, un-
der the craftsmanship of Rear Admiral
John G. Walker, appointed July "A, 1897,
under the authority of provision in the
sundry civil act of June of that year,
has nearly completed its labors and the
results of its exhaustive inquiry into the
proper route, the feasibility and the cost
of construction of an International canal
by Nicaraguan route, will be laid be-
fore you. In the performance of it's task
the commission received all possible cour-
tesy and assistance from the governments
of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which thus
testified their appreciation of the impor-
tance of giving speedy and practical
outcome to the great project that has for
SO many years engrossed the attention of
the respective countries.
As the scope of recent inquiry embraced
the whole subject, with the aim of making
plans and surveys for a canal by the most
convenient route, it necessarily included a
review of the results of previous surveys
by the Maritime Canal company, under its
existing concessions from Nicaragua and
Costa Rica, SO that, to this extent, those
grants necessarily held an essential part
in the deliberations and conclusions of the
canal commission as they have held, and
must needs hold, in the discussion of the
matter by the congress.
Status Quo Must he Preserved.
Under these circumstances, and in view
of overtures made to the governments of
Nicaragua and Costa Rica by other par
ties for new canal concession predicated
on the assumed approaching lapse of the
contracts of the Maratime Canal COM
pany with those states, have not hesi-
tated to expresss my conviction that con-
sideratiOns of expediency and interna-
tional policy as between the several
governments interested in the construc-
tion and control of an interoceanic canal
by this route require the maintenance of
the staus quo until the canal commission
shall have reported and the United States
congress shall have had the opportunity
to pass finally upon the whole matter
during the present session, without
prejudice by reason of any change in the
existing conditions.
Nevertheless it appears that the govern
ment of Nicaragua, as one of its last SOW
ercign acts before merging its powers in
those of the newly formed United States
of Central America has granted an op-
tional concession to another association to
become effective on the expiration of the
present grant. 1t does not appear what
surveys have been made or what route is
proposed under this contingent grant,
co hot nj ~ 1f khn foo al
of its plans is necessarily not embraced in
the report of the canal commission.
All those circumstances suggest the
urgency of some definite action by the
congress ut this session. if the labors of
the past are to be utilized and the linking
of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by
practical waterway is to be realized. That
the construction of such maritime high
way is now, more than ever. indispensable
to. that ready intercommunication be-
tween our eastern and western seaboards
demanded by the annexation of the Ha-
waiian islands and the prospective expan-
sion of our influence and commerce to the
Pacific, and that our national policy now
more imperatively than ever calls for it's
control by this government are PROPOSE
tions which doubt not the congress will
duly appreciate and act upon.
Events in China.
The United States has not been an in
different spectator Of the extraordinary
events transpiring in the Chinese empire,
whereby portions of its maritime provinces
are passing under the control of various
European 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 bnilt up
in those regions, may not be prejudiced
through any exclusive treatment by the
new occupants has obviated the need of
our country. becoming an actor in the
scene.
No Reason for Present Action.
Our position among nations having a
large Pacific coast and q constantly ex-
panding direct trade with the farther
Orient gives us the equitable claim to con-
sideration and friendly treatment in this
regard and it will be my aim to subserve
our large interests in that quarter by all
means appropriate to the constant policy
of our government. The territories of
Kiao Chow, Of Wei Hal Wei and Port Ar
thur and Ia Lien Wan leased to Germany,
Great Britain and Russia respectively for
terms of years will, it is announced, be
open to international commerce during