The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-10
Docs II Nmnr Defence,

Pauncefote Treaty means and will accom-
plish all its friends claim for it. then we
have no hesitation in saying that it fur
nishes the means OF escape from ridicu-
Ious humiIiatug. and dangerous position
in which this Government has been placed
by It's State Department. But we are not
yet sure enough concerning the text Of the
amendment to give it unqualified ap-
prevail. There appears 20 be an unneces-
sary and therefore suspicious ambiguity
about its language that We do not like
Ambiguity in diplomatic agreements be
tween nations seldom fails to be- injurious
to one or the other party. Thus. there
was-not exactly an ambiguity but some
thing equally as good" in the Clayton
Bulwer Treaty 1t will be remembered
that in that pestiferous convention Great
Britain agreed never to effect any perma-
Uent settlement in Central America. Later
when this treaty provision was violated in
the establishment OF the Grown Colony OF
British Honduras. Mr clayton is alleged
to have declared that OF course the prohi-
billion did not extend 20 the Mosquito
Coas, and the Bay Islands Clayton in the
flesh is no more. bu, his spirit may stHl
exert departmental influence Let Us.
therefore. avoid obscuriJies OF expression in
our International notes. deeds. and mort
cages.
Members Of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee are quoted as saying that IN,
Davis amendment undoubtedly confe-s
upon the United States the right to close tho
Canal against its enemy in time Of war.
II il does, it is by an implication which
10 our imperfect vision looks badly strain
ed. The treaty as amended provides th,t
nothing i'm the conditions and stipulati0ns
which forbid the United States TO fortify
or defend the Canal. to assemble a fleet in
Lake Nicaragua in time OF war or to use
the waterway on terms and conditions diff
ferent to those extended TO its enemy.
shall apply to measures which the United
States may find 10 necessary 10 take for
securing by its own forces the defence OF
the United states and the maintenance OF
public order"
The general public will want to know
very definitely just what American rights
in war this clause is safe to cover. Does
it guarantee our right 10 close the Canal
TO the enemy war vessels and transports
carrying troops or supplies to a hostile
feet or fortified islands? Does # estab-
lish a right to send an American army to
Nicaragua, that State conserving? These
are things the American people have in
sisted upon with great unanimity since
the moment the startling and offensive
Hay Pauncefote Treaty was sprung upon
the nation. What this country wants is
Nicaragua Canal exclusively American
in ownership and control. and capable OF
use for military purposes by our govern
ment to It's advantage and to the disad-
vantage Of an enemy There is not the
slightest objection to its absolute neu-
tralization and equal use by all nations
in time OF ,aace, nor to an open door for
innocent commerce in time OF war. con-
sistently with the military necessities Of
the United States But as we and others
have said a hundred times. the Canal will
be strategic connecting link between and
scientifically part Of our great separated
ceas. lines, and to leave it open to the
fleets Of a foe moving to attack our shores
would be insane folly.
In the exact state OF the circumstances
it would be worse than folly. We should
insist relentlessly upon all the rights Of
closure and defence necessary to overcome
the strategic advantage which Great Brit
ain would have over us in the event OF
hostilities between the countries We
should not permit our authorities to bind
US not to use such rights until after a con-
dillon OF belligerency obtained. Great Brit
ain has been certifying Jamaica. St. Kits.
and other West Indian ISLANDS for years.
strictly with a view to the Canal. That
power has coaling stations and great naval
and military arsenals great deal near
er to the eastern coast of Nicaragua than
any territory this country controls. II his
tory is capable Of teaching us any lesson
at ALL It teaches us that these British
preparations mean what like things have
meant In the British past. Great Britain
seized Gibraltar to control the mouth OF
the Mediterranean, seized Egypt TO con-
troll the suez Canal, and one day will at
tempt to seize Nicaragua and make the
greatest Of the worlds commercial high
ways in the future also Brl ish. This is
not sentiment nor Anglophohia; it is a
strictly fair deduction from the record of
English policy and practice from the Ellz-
Gbethan era down to the present time. We