The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-20
Discussion Of Important Questions
at Saratoga Conference.
TERRITORIAL EXPANSION
CARL SEIZURE OPPOSES THE I'M
PERIAL POLICY.
Judge Grosscup Thinks We Should
Take the Philippines and Get
Right Into the Chinese Grab Game
Warner Miller Speaks On the
Nicaragua Canal.

Saratoga, N. Y, Aug. 19.-The nation
al conference on the foreign policy of
the United States was opened here to-
day with an address by Henry Wade
Rogers of Chicago, chairman of the
committee on arrangements. Mr. Rog-
ers said that the conference was called
to consider some of the most momen-
tous questions in the history of the re-
public. He spoke of the war and re-
turned prayful thanks for the peace
now at hand While peace has arrived,
he said there were many serious prob
lens to be considered. He referred TO
the close friendship between the Amer
leans and British, which would prompt
ly lead TO international arbitration and
finally TO universal peace.
The speaker spoke favorably of the
Nicaraguan canal, n which, he argued,
should be built and controlled by the
United States government That canal
would shorten the distance by water
to San Francisco by 10000 miles. A ref
erence to the trip of the battleShip Or
egon ELECTED hearty applause.
Mr.. Rogers said that the principal
problem before the coming congress
was that of territorial expansions, on
which many distinguished men of ma
gent views. Indirectly he referred to
the positions respectively held by the
expansionists and the anti-expanSion-
lists. Whether we should annex the
colonies that are lost to Spain, to con-
troll them by carpetbag governments,
is a problem that has become the most
serious one to Americans, who should
ponder wisely over it in order to not
make a mistake. Commercial interests
urge that we should adopt a colonial
system, said Mr.. Rogers, but business
alone ought not to control our con-
duct.
MILLER ON THE CANAL.
The question of the Nicaraguan ca
nal 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 con-
struction and he believed all Ameri-
cans We're now universally in favor of
it as was also all of Europe. He spoke
of the numerous surveys made of every
proposed route to pierce the isthmus,
and said the route by the way of the
Nicaraguan canal has received the
greatest consideration as both feasible
and desirable.
Mr.. Miller gave the history of the
Nicaragua route, beginning with the
administration of General Grant and
continuing down to the present time.
Had not the canal treaty been blocked
by antagonistic legislation years ago
the canal would have already teen
built and now in actual operation. FL
nancial distress for number of wears
also hindered the work. Distinguished
senators have for years urged the
building of the canal, but congress did
not act favorably upon it. The Mic
aragua route is Hooked upon as the
most feasible andIfar preferable to that
of Panama. The canal can be built
for from 500, 100000 to $40, 100000, as
shown by statements made by experts.
Is the canal desirable? That the
canal would reduce the distance be-
tween New York and San Francisco
10000 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 Unit
ed States. Railroads have been built
in advance of the population and have
carried emigrants to the western plains
where there is now a teeming popu-
lation developing the broad acres.
Mr.. Miller referred to several canals
that have materially aided in opening
up the country. The Nicaraguan canal
would alone save US 10000 miles and
would be a great outlet for those
states on the Pacific coast. The CONT
nent is gridironed with tranScontinen-
tai railroads, but these do not alone
afford the advantages that could be
secured by a canal. 1t is a question
of cheap transportation and the Near
aqua canal would solve the problem.
Within ten years after the completion
of the canal the population of the Pa
cific states will have increased to TO-
0O0 Geo One of the best results of the
Spanish American war is that it viii
compel the building of the Nicaraguan
canal.
The entire morning session was de-
voted to a discussion of the Nicar-
aguan canal.
ANNEXATION PROBLEM.
The annexation problem was taken
UP at the afternoon session. Carl
Schurz of New York spoke at length,
giving the views of the anti-eXpansion-
lists, whose cause he advocated. He
was opposed by Judge Grosscup of Chi
cago. who is, an earnest eXDanS1oniSt.
Judge Grosscu-) said, in part:
Il am among those who believe that
the people of the United States, with
out breach of faith to the promises of
our past, or serious danger to the ex-
pectations of our future, should hold
permanently all, or portion, of the
territory that has been occupied by
our troops during the progress of the
war. 1 am ready to go step further
and assert that the obligations of our
duty toward mankind, and especially
toward the particular peoples who nave
been drawn within the sphere of our
operations and toward the future use
fulress of ourselves. demand that we
should permanently retain so much of
these, the captures of war, as are need
ed 10 round out the moral purposes tor
which Il was inaugurated, and the
greater destiny on which, as a nation,
we are about to enter.
-Four months ago the eyes of the ma
ton were habitually turned inwardly
upon itself The industries and COM
merce of this continent monopoliZ9d us.
Our policies were the policies of Amer
lea alone. running too frequently, par
ticularly in their financial and CONNER
cial phases-into q thing apart from the
corresponding systems of the world. 1t
was, in my judgment, a providential
hand gloyed in the smoke Of battles,
that led us out from these confi-iing
to the mountain spur we
now occupy. There IS moral elevation
in a. wide outlook. AS a people, we for
the first time look clearly over the en-
pires of the earth. Without the sacri-
fice of righteousness or honor. but as
the ministers of both, the invitation
comes to take our share in the oopor-
tunities and responsibilities of this
wider field. The immediate question,
the one that, by its solution, will either
bring us in, or bar us out of this larger
sphere relates to the perma-
nent occupation of our Spanish con-
quests.
WANTS A CONTINENT.