The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-12-06
FRIENDLY RELATIONS,
Aside From the Spanish War We Have
Had no Serious Foreign Troubles.

Aside From the Spanish Wal 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
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
arc described, leading up to the Nicaragua
canal question, on which the president
says:
The Nicaraguan canal commission un-
der the craftsmanship of Rear Admiral
John G. Walker, appointed July 24vls97,
under the authority of a provision in the
sundry civil act Of June 4 of that year,
has nearly completed its labors and the
results Of it's exhaustive inquiry into tho
proper route. the feasibility and the cost
of construction of an international canal
by a N~icaraguan route, will be laid be-
fore you. In the performance of its task
AAo co~,,~;,S;o, ~on,;,oI III roa~;LOo o1,,~
tesy and assistance from the governments
of Nicaragua and Costa RIGA, which thus
testified their appreciation of the impor-
lance of giving a 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, 1t necessarily included a
review Of the results of previous surveys
and plans, and in particular those adopted
by the Maritime Canal company, under 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
IluSu llNNNAS AAoANAs ~ VA VA VAAO
matter by the congress.
tatus 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 u new canal concession predicated
on the assumed approaching lapse Of the
contracts of tho Maratime Canal COM
pany with those states, I have not hest
tatod to expresses my conviction that con-
siderations Of e~xpediency and interna-
tional policy as between the several
governments interested In tho construc-
tion and control Of On i~nteroceonic 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 tho present session, without
prejudice by reason Of any change In the
existing conditions.
Nevertheless it appears that the govern
ment of Nicaragua, AZ one of its last SOW
ercign acts before merging It's powers In
those of the newly formed United States
Of Central America has granted nm op-
tional concession to another association to
become effective on the expiration Of the
present grant. 1t docs not appear what
SURVEYS have been made or what route il
proposed under this contingent grant,
40 that an examination of the feasibility
Of It's 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 Mt this session. II the labors of
the past are to be utilized and the linking
Of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by u
practical waterway Is to he realized. That
the construction Of such . maritime hi-h-