Evening star., 1898-08-19
National Conference of Represent
ative Men at Saratoga.
NlCARAGUAN CANAL ARGUMENT
Henry Wade Rogers and Warner
Milers Addresses.
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

SARATOGA, ". Y, August 19.-The ma
tional conference on the foreign policy OF
the United States was opened here today
with an address by Henry Wade Rogers
of Chicago, chairman of the committee of
arrangements.
Mr.. Rogers said that the conference was
called to consider some of the most mo-
mentous questions in the history of The re-
public. He spoke of the war and returned
rrayerful thanks for the peace row at
hand. While peace has arrived, he said
there were many serious problems to be
considered. He referred to the close friend
ship between the Americans and British
which could promptly lead to international
arbitration and finally to universal peace.
Tha speaker spoke favorably of the Mica
r&guan canal, which, he argued, should be
built and controlled by the United States
government. The caral would shorten the
distance by water to San Francisco by ten
thousand miles. a reference to thu trip of
the battle ship Oregon elected hearty ap-
plause.
Territorial Expansion.
Mr.. Rogers said that the principal prob
lem of the present conference was that of
territorial expansion. on which many dis
tinguished men OF national reputation hold
widely divergent views. Indirectly he re-
ferred to the positions respectively held by
the expansionists and the anti-expansion-
lists. Whether We should annex the LoIonies
that are lost to Spain or control them by
carpet-bag governments is a problem that
has become the most serious one to Ameii-
cans who should ponder wisely over 1t in
order not to make mistake. Commercial
interests urge that We adopt colonial sys-
tom, said Mr. Rogers, but business alone
CT ght not to control our conduct.
The question of the Nicaragua canal 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 its i'm
mediate construction, and he believed all
Americans were now universally in favor
of it, as is also all of Europe.
Warner MiIIer's Address
He spoke of the numerous surveys made
of every proposed route to pierce the 18TH
mus, and said the route by the way of the
Nicaragua canal has received the greatest
constellation both feasible and desira-
BILE. Mr.. Miller gave the history of the
Nicaragua route. beginning with the ad-
ministration of General Grant and continu-
ing down to the present time. The Nicara-
qua route is looked upon as the most feasi-
Bile, and far preferable to that of Panama
The canal can be built for from $1On.OOo,-
600 to 100000, as shown by statements
made by experts. Is the canal desirable
That the canal would reduce the distance
between New York and San Francisco ten
thousand miles is alone a sufficient answer
in the affirmative.
Within ten years after the completion of
the canal the population of the Pacific
states Will have increased to ten millions
one OF the best results of the Spanish
American war is that it will compel the
building of the Nicaragua canal
The entire morning session was devoted
10 discussion of the Nicaragua canal