The herald., 1898-08-20
A new FOREIGN POLICY
MADE NECESSARY By THE WAR
WITH SPAIN
One Thing Agreed on Il the Early
Construction Of the Nicar-
aqua Canal



,..%i-
Associated Press Special Wire
SARATOGA, N. Y, Aug. 1.-THE nation
al conference on the foreign policy of the
United States was opened here today with
an address by Henry Wade Rogers Of Chi
cago, chairman of the Committee of ar
rangements. Mr.. Rogers says that the
conference was called to consider some OF
the momentous questions In the history of
the republic. He spoke Of the war and re-
turned prayerful thanks for the peace
now at hand. While peace has arrived, he
said. that there were many serious prob
lens to be considered.
He referred! to, the close friendship be-
tween America and Great Britain, which
would probably lead to international arbi-
tration and finally to universal peace. The
speaker spoke favorably Of the Nicaragua
Canal, which, he argued, should be built
and controlled by the United States gov
eminent. The canal will shorten the dis
lance by water to San Francisco by 10000
miles. A reference to the trip OF the bat
tleship Oregon elected hearty applause.
Mr.. Rogers said that the principal prob
lem before the present conference was that
of territorial expansion. on which many
distinguished men Of national reputation
hold widely different views. Indirectly,
he referred to the positions respectively
held by the expansionists and the anti
sxpans,onists. Whether we should annex
the colonies that are lost to Spain. or to
control them by carpet-bag government
IL a problem that has become the most
- A. no
ponder wisely over It In order not to make
a mistake. Commercial interests urge
that we should adopt colonial system, said
Mr.. Rogers, but business alone ought not
to control our conduct.
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 past three months demanded
the immediate construction, and he be.
lieved all Americans we're now universally
In favor of 1t, as also all Of Europe. He
spoke Of the numerous surveys made of
every proposed route to pierce the isthmuH,
and said the route by the way OF
the Nicaragua Canal has received the
greatest consideration, as both feasible and
desirable.
Mr.. Miller gave the history Of the Near
aqua route beginning with the administra-
ton Of General Grant down to the present
time. Had not the canal treaty been block
ed by antagonis;ic legislation in years ago
the canal would have already been built
and now in actual operation. Financial
distress for number of years also hin
dered the work. Distinguished Senators
have for years urged the building Of the
canal, but Congress did not act favorably
upon It. The Nicaragua route is looked up
on as the most feasible and far more prefer
able than that Of Panama. The canal
can be built for from 800, 900 to $780,
COX, 900, as shown by statements made by ex-
perts.
Is the canal desirable? That the canal
would reduce the distance between New
York and San Francisco ten thousand
miles is alone a sufficient answer In the
affirmative. The railways and canals of the
country have made all sections accessible
and available, and have increased the
wealth of the United States. Railroads
have been built in advance Of the popula tlon
and have carried emigrants to the West
ern plains, where there is now teeming
population developing the broad areas.
Mr.. Miller referred TO several canals that
have materially aided in opening up the
country. The Nicaragua canal would alone
save us ten thousand miles. and would be a
great outlet for those states on the Pacific
Coast. The continent Is grid-ironed with
transcontinental roads, but these do no;
alone afford the advantages that could be
secured by canal. 1t Is question of cheap
transportation, and the Nicaraguan canal
would solve the problems. Within ten years
after the completion Of the canal the pop
ulation OF the Pacific States will have in
creased to ten millions. One Of the best
results of the Spanish-American war Is
that it will compel the building of the Mic.
aragua canal. The entire morning session
was devoted to a discussion Of the Near
aguan canal.
The annexation problem was taken up at
the afternoon session. Carl SEIZURE of New
York spoke at length, giving the views of
the anti-expansionists, whose cause he ad-
vocated. He was opposed by Judge Cross
cup OF Chicago. who Is an earnest expan-
sionist.
Judge Grosscup said in part:
IT am among those who believe that the
people of the United States without breach
Of faith to the promises OF our past or Sc
rious danger to the expectation of our
future. hold permanently all, or a portion.
of the territory that has been occupied by
our troops during the progress Of the war.
I am ready to go step further and assert
that the obligations Of our duty toward
mankind, and especially toward the partic-
ular peoples who have been drawn within
the sphere Of our operations and to the
future usefulness of ourselves, demand
that we should permanently retain so much
of these captures Of war as are needed to
round out the moral purposes for which
1t was inaugurated and the greater destiny
on which as a nation we are about to
enter.
-Four months ago the eyes Of the nation
were habitualty turned inwardly upon it.
self The industries and commerce of this
continent monopolized us. Our policies
were the policies OF America alone-run-
ming too frequently, particularly In their
financial and comWercial phases, into a
thing apart from the corresponding sys-
TENS of the world, The smoke OF battle
has led us out from these combining
boundaries to the mountain spur we now
occupy. There Is moral elevation In a
wide outlook. AS people, we for the first
time look clearly over the empires Of the
earth without the sacrifice Of righteous
ness or honor. but as the ministers OF both.