The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-02-01

! New York, Feb. 1.-The Herald pub
/ fishes a dispatch from Managua, Mic
aragUa, which gives President Ze:ayas
views as to the construction of a mari
/ time canal.
Nicaragua would prefer dealing di-
! rectly with the United States" he said
lin this matter Of 4 canal across our
/ country. The canal company has not
lived up To its obliga tions-those in
] cluded in the concession-and we con-
slider that il has deceived us, and we
believe that further dealings with i!
would only result in further deception
For this reason We would prefer deal
Ing directly with your Government,
knowing that that is stable, which the
canal company is not.
We consider that the concessions
which are now held by the canal COM
pany expired some time since. and they
are, therefore, VOID, although the canal
company thinks differently. The Tip
tapa canaliZation is one of the most
striking Illustrations Of the failure of
the company to keep it's agreements,
and one OF the chief features of the
arrangement made with Mr.. Baker. the
retired United States minister. dealt
with in this matter.
Mr.. Baker was 10 have taken up the
Tiptapa Canalization with the canal
company on his return to TIE United
States, and, failing 10 reach some sort
of an understanding with the company.
he was To have endeaVored Ia have had
the matter submitted 10 arbitration
But the arrangement has been can
celed by Congress, and | consider that
the action of Congress was brought
about through the influence of the
canal company, which does not wish
to be called To account.
We would have no objection To the
Congress Of the United States passing
a bill locking to the support of private
capital in building a canal but when il
came TO the United States actually con
trolling the canal this government
would have something To say about |
that. But in the event of a possible |
transfer of control the matter could be |
discussed by this government and the |
United States. The protest that was |
made when the last Nicaragua canal |
bill was pending i'm the Senate was |
made at the instance Of the Diet-thc |
Greater Republic of central America |
one of the provisions Of the concession |
preventing the transfer OF the control |
the consent of Nicaragua.
The mission Of Mr.. Moran is ignored !
by this government 1 believe he has |
been privately requested by the United |
States government to make a study of |
the proposed canal and canal matters. |
and to make report along those lines |
and on matters in general. Mr.. Moran
brought with him recommendation di- |
rected To the American Legation. for !
which special considerations have been
extended on the part of this govern |
ment.
MIR Bakers mission on the part of |
this country i'm the United States. |
which has now been set aside. has been |
commonly misunderstood. | consider |
ed Sir. Baker a man of influence and |
one who could take UP the matters pro- |
posed with every prospect Of carrying |
them through with success. Mr.. Baker |
represented that he would be able to
form a syndicate which would buy from |
US our railroad and our lake steamers. |
We desired to dispose of these to pri- |
vate parties in order To raise money |
sufficient TO pay our English debt. Our
total debt. by the way. is only six mill
lions of dollars in this money.
A canal, or communication from the |
interior to the Atlantic coast. Is what |
We need to settle US politically. as well |
as in other ways. Either would allay
the restlessness and would end desires
for revolution. All property would APP |
preciate The conservatives property /
and the liberals would go up in value
to gether and the whole country would |
take on n new aspect A canal would |
unity all the people and all political
unea siness would be lost in the i'm
proved conditions of business. Let US |
but get an opening for the passing out
Of our products and the whole country
would become prosperous.
we are glad to have Americans
come in. They are able and energetic.
They will help US to build up the coun-
try We consider our country to have
as great natural attractions as any in
Central America. { is larger than
Costa Rica and more capable of de-
in every way. Costa Rica
has in san Jose a very fine city, but
we have several. They are many miles
apart, but commercial communication
between them would knit the country
together very strongly and soon give
it a leading place in this part of the
world"