Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-12-09

capture CT destruction by belligerent
powers.
FRIENDLY RELATIONS.
Aside From the Spanish Wa: We Have
Had no Serious Foreign Troubles.
With the exception of the rupture with
Spain, tho 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 or presenting 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-
ton to the demand Of the Austrian gov
eminent 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 Nicaraguan canal commission, I'M
der the craftsmanship Of Rear Admiral
John G. Walker, appointed July "a, 1897 j
under tho authority of a provision in the
sundry civil net 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 a Nicaraguan route, will be laid be-
fore you. In the performance of it's task
the commiss on received all possible cour-
tesy and assistance from the governments
of Nicaragua and Costa kicn, which thus
testified their appreciation of tho i,npor-
lance of giving speedy and practical
outcome to the great project that has for
40 many years engrossed the attention of
the respective countries.
AS tho scope Of recent inquiry embraced
the whole subject, with the aim of maxim.
plans and surveys for canal by the most
convenient route, it necessarily included n
review of the results of previous surveys
and plans and in particular hose ado ted
by the Maritime Canal com uny, undor it's
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 De Preserved.
Under these circumstances, and in view
of overtures made to the governments of
Nicaragua and Costa Rica by other par
ties for u now canal concession predicated
Oh the assumed approaching lapse of the
contracts Of the Maratilne Canal com
pany with those states, have not hest
tated to expresses my conviction that con-
siderations of expcdiency and interna-
tional policy as between the several
governments interested in the construc-
ton and control Of an interoccanic canal
by this route require the maintenance of
the status quo until the canal commission
shall have reported and the United States
congress shn.l have had the opportunity
to pass finally upon the whole matter
during the present session, without
prejudice by reason of any ch.tngeiE the
existing conditions
Nevertheless it appears that the govern
ment of Nicaragua, MS one OF it's List rov-
ereign acts before merging it's powers in
those of the newly formed ULiled :; ,t's
of Central America has Kranl.': a.. %.
tiOnal concession to al!Ol her ass lc u. i,.i 10
become effective on tn" cxp.r.. "a ut the
present grant 1t does II y. .lpi,.tr vh
surveys have been made or whit. ro.,e -
proposed under this con in c,:; .,!,.l.
80 that an ex;.minlt on of the i.,l-. i!n;
of its plans is necessarily Not cinD "r'ul -,
the report OF The canal con, ~ ~ w.
All those circumstances s,-;,...; IA,
urgency OF sonle deii..iic u"ll,;n W IN
congress at this session. ii the L.Du. y.
the past are to be utilized and h., l.n:.u.:
of the Att. ntic and Pacific o ems ~ :.
practical waterway is to be- rca lied. :. 4 :,
tho construct on Of such = maritime h,4,n-
way is now. more tn III ever. ind pen ...b.nf
to that ready intcrc0nln Lnic..Lion be.
tween our eastern and western scab0 .rL'
demanded by the annexation of the H.l-
waiian islands and the prospective cxp.n-
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
lions which doubt not the congress will
duly appreciate and act upon.
Events in China.
The United States has not been All 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