The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-20
Many Benefits VIII he Derived by the
Nation, He Believes, If We Retain
Our Conquered Territory.
VIEWS OF HON. CARL SCHURZ
WHO REPRESENTED ANTI-ExPAN-
SIONIsTS AT THE CONFERENCE.
Speeches by Henry Wade Rogers and
Warner Miller in Favor of Com
structing the Nicaragua Canal.

SARATOGA, N. Y. Aug. 19-The national
conference on the foreign policy of the
United States was opened here to-day with
an address by Henry Wade Rogers Of Chi
eago, chairman of the committee on ar
rangements. Mr.. Rogers said the confer
ence was called to consider some of the
most 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.
there were many serious problems to be
considered He referred to the close friend
sElp between the Americans ard British.
which would promptly lead to international
arbitration and finally to universal peace.
The speaker spoke favorably of the Nica~
raguan canal, which, he argued should ha
built and controlled by the United States
government. That canal would shorten the
distance by water to San Francisco by To-
wv miles. A reference to the trip of the bat
tie snip Oregon ELECTED hearty applause.
MT Rogers said the principal problem be-
fore the present conference was that Of
territorial expansion, on which many dis
uhgulshed men OF national reputation hold
widely divergent views. Indirectly he re-
ierred to the positions respectively held bv
the expansionists apd the anti-expansfon-
lists. Whether we should annex the colonies
that are lost to Spain or control them bv
carpetbag governments is a problem thar
has become the most serious one to Ameri-
cans, who should ponder wisely over IL
in order to not make a mistake CONNER
cial interests urge that we adopt colonial
system, said Mr.. Rogers, but business alona
ought not to control our conduct.
WARNER MILLER SPEAKS
he
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 it's i'm
mediate construction, and he believed all
Americans We're now universally in favor of
it. as is also all of Europe. He spoke of the
numerous surveys made of every proposed
route to pierce the isthmus, and said the
route by way of the Nicaragua canal has
received the most attention as both most
feasible and desirable. Mr.. Miller gave the
history Of the Nicaragua rou.e beginning
with the administration of General Grant
and continuing down to the present time
Had not the canal treaty been blocked bv
antagonistic legislation years ago the canal
would already have been built and now in
actual operation. Financial distress for a
number of years also hindered the work.
Distinguished senator's have for years urged
the building of the canal, but Congress did
not act favorably upon it, The Nicaragua
route is looked on as the most feasible and
far preferable to that of Panama. The
canal can be built for from 500 100000 to
$l40,OOO,0OO, as shown by statements OF ex-
perts. Is the canal desirable? That the
canal would reduce the distance between
New York and San Francisco 10000 miles
is alone a sufficient answer in the affirma-
tive The railways and canals of the coun-
try have made all sections accessible and
available and have increased the wealth of
the United States Railways have been
built in advance of the population and have
carried emigrants to the Western lands
where there is now teeming population
developing the broad acres.
JUDGE GROSSCUP'S ADDRESS.
The colonial extension problem was taken
up at the afternoon session. Carl Schurz.
of New York, spoke at length. giving the
views of the ant-expansionists, whose
cause he advocated He was opposed by
Judge P. s. Grosscup, of Chicago, who is an
earnest expansonist, and who spoke at
great length. Judge Grosscup said, in part:
Il am among those. Mr.. President, who
believe that the people of the United States
can, without breach OF faith to the promises
of our past or serious danger to the ex-
pectations 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. ! am ready to so q
step further, and assert that the obligations
of our duty towards mankind, and espe-
cially towards the particular peoples who
have been drawn within the sphere of our
operations, and toward the future usefuI-
ness of ourselves, demand that we should
hold permanently so much of these, the
captures of war, as are needed to round out
the moral purposes for which 1t was in-
augurated and the greater destiny upon
which, nation, we are about to enter
challenge, at the outset, the statement so
literally indulged in by our opponents that
in taking this stand the American people
are moved by emotionalism, or are deceived
by generalities.
Wars are the thunderstorms of civiliza-
tion. They never subside without clearing
the atmosphere of much of it's sultriness.
The one through which we are just passing
seems to have enveloped the people OF
America in new atmosphere We see
more clearly than ever before the things
that in this world can be called our own.
and the things that stand apart from us.
the possessions of others: ourselves, and
our relations to the other nations OF the
world as distinct from ourselves. The air
through which we look is clearer. our vision
longer. and the outlines of the future have
taken a distinctness that leaves us no
longer in doubt which way to take up our
course.
-Four months ago the eyes OF the Nation
were habitually turned inwardiy upon it.
xelf. The industries and commerce Of thia