Washington sentinel., 1900-02-10
England Debating to America.

nounced that the new treaty which
is TO regulate the status OF the 18th
mian Canal pledges the Unitec
States to refrain from fortiiyinf
its approaches and entrances" tha
"the other great maritime nation:
are to be asked to join in this gen
eral guarantee OF the canals free
dom and neutrality" that "the wal
ships of all nations are to be per-
mitted to pass through the canal in
time OF peace or war;" and that "no
military advantages are to accrue to
any power through the seizure OF
control Of the canals gateways." "
SIN all other respects, however" "
we are satirically informed, "the
Isthmian short cut is to be as COM
pletely under American control as
the Suez Canal is now under the
British"
In other words, we are to build
the canal at our own expense, keep
it for the benefit OF the world in
time OF peace, and turn it over to
England or any other opponent
with a superior naval force in time
of war.
And the President who has con
sented to this unimagined igno-
minY sits in the seat of Garfield,
and the Secretary OF State who at
taches his name to the surrender
writes at the desk of Blaine!
On February S, 1900, John Hay
agrees to bind the United States
not to buIld the Notifications that
Blaine declared to be necessary to
make up for our inferiority OF naval
power.
Better a thousand times no canal
at all than one built under such
conditions as this. If we should
pierce the isthmus on such terms
we should be simply opening way
for our enemies to attack us, as
Braddock cut a road through the
woods for the benefit OF the French
and Indian raiders. AS things
stand, our Pacific coast is safe from
European assault. There is no
base from which il could be at.
tackled except the British station Of
Esuuimault, which we could reach
by land. But if we opened the
Nicaragua canal on Mr.. Hays
conditions a hostile feet could con-
centrate At Martinique or St Lucia,
and while it distracted our a,ten-
tion by feint against our Atlantic
coast it could dash through the
canal and strike California.
1t has been said that an Ameri-
can Nicaragua Canal would double
our naval strength. But a canal
built on the HsY-McKinleY plan
would double the strength OF our
enemies against us.
The CLAYTON -BuIwer treaty has
been obsolete for twenty years.
Secretary Hay has undertaken to
revive its most odious features.
There was some excuse for a Clay
ton, blundering blindly in 1850,
There is none for his successor. re.
peating his blunders with his eyes
open in 1900. The astonishing ex.
hibition made by Mr.. Hay illus
trates the danger OF making a man
Secretary OF State after he has be-
come hypnotized by London so
ciety.
1t is inconceivable that the Sen.
ate will ratify the new treaty until
the atrocious provisions admitted
into it by Mr.. Hays faulty have
been stricken cut.
The Nicaragua Canal will bt
built, and it will be fortified by the
United States, kept open to th'
peaceful traffic OF the world, anC
closed to the fleets OF our enemie.
in time of war. That is the inAex
ible determination ofthe American
people, and William Mckinley anC
John Hay may as well make not'
oft.
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's letter
prove that the point with which HI
drove the republics into war wa
that the South African Republi,
was not an independent State, a.
1