The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-15
A SETBACK ron THE CANAL.

SETBACK FOH THE CANAL.
THo adoption of the Davis amendment
q, ihc Hay-Pauncololo treaty Is set
back Tor tho Nicaragua cana project. Il
wiE o. admitted that n would hardly ba
wise 20 undertake. the construction of the
canal without au understanding with
Great Britain with regard 20 d. There o.
no j0aot ihat the CiAyton-Euiwer treaty
Is to CON force That treaty provides taa;
neither the United States nor Great Bril-
tain win ever obtain or maintain Tor BE-
SELF auy exclusive coatrol over thc aIl
snip cansl' aud that "ueiiasr vii ever
eroe, or maintain Qualifications command
.ng the same"
The Hay-Pauncefote treaty m0dldes
thar treaty So a. 90 permit The United
States 80 construct the canal aud control
it but provides for its neutrality ln time
OF war Is wcf as iu time 81 peace. Tho
Davis amcadm.uf changes this treaty 20
as to rivp tas Emitted States trc right 10
close The canal whenever they tl.nk % aa-
yisaolc go do .o for their own defense or
tht preservation az pubuc order
Uader th.s tmerlmeo. tae United States
msat not nave enc right 10 fority tae
canal but thsy would have tae right 10
"plag ID 49," whenever they con-
aerei % necessary 10 DO 80 lot
their own defense. ~ the bcsin-
MINIS OF toe present session of
. Congress 81 was Thought chat there
would De- very LITTLE dely iu beg.nnlns
work on enc Nicaragua canal n was
believed that about everything was OUT
OF the way Of necessary legislation. and
that eaua. bM would be- passed before
,he end ~ ihe session. NoW the canal g
prospects arc IS no means promising
Great Britain mly com. ut 90 che ubro-
cation OF the Ciaytou-HAiwer treaty Or
She may be- willing TO accept the Davis
amendment 10 The Hay-Pauulefote treaty.
I but if viii take time To- arrive az an uU-
outstanding with her in regard 20 either
/ the treaty or tho amendment Tae very
I general opinion iu Washington seems to
be- tnat she viii not boz wilkins 80 make
ans more concessions than those which
are contained in the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty.
We can OF course 90 ahead and build
/ tho canal just as if shcre were no such
I thing as the Clayton-Bulwer treaty. but
that migh, mean war that would cost
several times as much as the proposed
canal. and .t Nigh, also delay the buih-
! ing the canal for many years Il may be
I that the clayton Buiwcr treaty was a
aupoudous b.under but that does not al
! tor the fact chat q is ia existenec and
| iu FUN force. The wiser plan would De
/ To get it out OF the way before there b.
any canal legislation
/ As to the wisdom OF the Davis amend
ment. there is considerable difference
I Of oplnion throughout che country. the
thought hes been thrown out that mucn
I OF tine opposition a. the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty in the senate Is due 90 the fact
mat Mr.. HAY. Secretary of State. nego-
uated Il without consulting any Of the
Republican leaders OF that body or Win
opt saving anything 10 tine members OF
the Committee of Foreign Relations with
regard 10 10. II can hardly be, however
that tncrc Is any foundation for che
story. senators would not jeopardize
great public work simply because they
feIt that they had not been shown prop
err consideration los the administration
so doubt the vote on the Davis amend
msnt vas based on the feeling thar an
l4thmiau asnal exclusively under the con-
trol of tho United states would be more
i'm harmony with the wishes OF ,he Ameri-
can people.