Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-12-09
RELATIONS.

Aside From the Spanish Wa. We. Have
Had NO 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 or presenting no serious obstacle
to a 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
ernment for compensation to tho 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, arc
are described, leading up to the Nicaragua
canal question, on which tho president
says:
The Nicaraguan canal commission, un
der h craftsmanship of Rear Admiral
OA@ SSsAnSA opPOAAV0A OuAy SfS ASUsS
under tho authority Of a provision in tho
sundry civil act of June 4 of that year,
has nearly completed it's labors and the
results Of its exhaustive inquiry into tho
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 Its task
the commission received all possible pour
tesy and assistance from the governments
Of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which thus
testified their appreciation Of tho impor-
tance of giving a speedy and practical
outcome to the great project that has for
10 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 q canal by the most
convenient route, it necessarily included a
review Of the results of previous surveys
and plans, and in particular those adopted
by the Maritime Canal company, under Its
existing concessions from Nicaragua and
Costa Rica, 30 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 tho discussion Of the
matter by tho congress.
Status Quo Must BE Preserved.
Under these circumstances, and in view
Of overturcs made to the governments of
Nicaragua and Costa Rica by other par
ties for a new canal concession p%redicated
on the assumed approaching lapse Of the
contracts of the Maratimc Canal com
pany with those states, I have not hest
tated to cxprcsss my conviction that con-
026oneafSnna nf ovnfA1iCncv and fntorno-
tional policy as between the several
governments interested in the cOnstruc-
ton and control Of an ~interoceanic canal
by this route require the maintenance of
the status 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 n Of its asst SOW
ercign acts before merging its powers In
those Of the newly formed United States
of Central America has granted an OPP
tional concession to another association to
become effective on the expiration Of the
present grant. It does not appear what
surveys have been made or what route is
proposed under this contingent grant,
10 that al examination of the feasibility
of its plans is necessarily not embraced in
tho report of the canal commission.
All those circumstances suggest the
urgency Of some definite action by the
congress at this session. ii the labors of
the past are to be utilized and the linking
Of tho Atlantic and P0i1c oceans by a
practical waterway is to be realized. That
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