The Elbert County tribune., 1900-02-15
BRITISH CONCESSIONS.

ttt&r If4t@f** &AAAt ~ y" of'stt*%-'%t%s s~'-~
to protect the interests OF our country,
and to advance those Interests, when
they confict with the claims OF Great
Britain.
The Alnskn boundary was = matter
that required the most careful hand
ling. The British were extremely anx-
ious to obtain port in what had been
regarded as part of our AInskan ter
ritory. They set up a claim ms to the
Interpretation Of the Russian treaty by
which this country got title to Alaska
which would have given them access
to the sea, and made It unnecessary for
them to send goods through United
States territory to the Klondike. The
negotiations were long and difficult
principally because Of the uncomprom-
Using nttltude OF Canadn. At last,
however. the matter was settled. pend
Ing final inward. by the adoption Of a
line OF division between the British and
American possessions which retained
for this country the coast line Intact.
Some weeks ago. after the beginning
OF tho British Boer war. certain car
goes OF American nour-not carried,
however, In American ships-were
seized by the British In East African
waters, on the ground thar they were
supplies for the Beers. and contrabnnd
OF war. Representations were made Mt
once to the British government. stating
that this country could not allow thnt
such cnrgoes were contraband. and de-
mnnding redress. After much discus
sion, our claim was allowed In full;
the British government gave up the
principle for which they had been con-
tending, and the owners of the -four
viii be compensated. not only for the
cost OF the cargoes, but for what would
be n reasonable profit thereon. Our nd
tanned release OF the cargoes, and com
pensation for their seizure. but also es-
tnblished an Important principle OF In
ternationai law. which will be invaiu-
able In future.
The latest case of British concession
Is perhaps even more important than
either OF the other two mentioned. The
Clayton-Bul treaty hns beeR modi-
fed SO that this government has now
the undisputed right TO mcguire what
ever territory In Central America may
be necessary to insure our control OF
the Nicaragua cannl when It is built.
This treaty, made in 1850. has hereto
fore been the great obstacle to the
building of the Nicaragua canal by our
government, and TO our control and
operation of II when built. The treaty
provided for a Joint control Of such n
waterway when built. and bound ncith-
or power to acquire territory in Cen
tral America. Those who have studied
the question most deeply have come to
the unanimous conclusion TINT when
the canal Is built, 1t should be under
government auspices, and the control
absolutely In the hands of our govern
ment. President Mckinley therefore
directed his efforts to the obtaining of
n modification of the treaty which
would allow this to be done; and he
has succeeded admirably. As noted In
the Associated Press dispatches, Great
Britain obtains no 'quld pro quo" for
the concessions made by her In this
case. voluntarily rellnquishing what
ever rights she had to joint control OF
the canal, and whatever objections she
had to the acquisition by our govern
ment of territory in Central America
necessary to operate and control the
canal.
A concerted campaign is now in prog
ress by the Democratic and Populist
press OF the country to arouse opposi-
ton to the administration on the ground
that 1t is In alliance with Great Brit
ain. No such alliance has been made,
nor can be made without the knowl-
edge OF the United States Senate; and
there is no desire for such an alliance
either by the Republican party or any
of Its responsible representatives. The
Democratic press. however, partly by
misrepresentation and partly by direct
ly lying, hopes to raise prejudice
against the administration on account
OF It's supposed friendliness to Great
Britain.
1t is true that the relations Of this
country and Great Britain have been
friendly for the past three yenrs--just
as they have been friendly with Ger
many and with France, and with other
nations. But II friendliness produces
such substantial results MS those
named above-if we can get more con-
cessions from Great Britain by being
friendly than by n chip-on-the-shoulde
attitude-then surely It would seem to
be wise to maintain friendly relations.
Just a hundred years ago the Demo-
cratic party. by similar campaign of
persistent misrepresentation and abuse,
persuaded majority of the voters that
the Federallsts were monarchists at
heart, and bent on an alliance with
Great Britain, and Jefferson was elect
ed President. They hope to repeat the
operation this year. But the majority
OF the people of this country are better
informed now than they We're hun
dred years ago; the means OF obtain
ing information are n thousand times
better: there is no such general hatred
ard distrust OF Great Britain as there
was century ago; and the propaganda
lists who are trying to boost the Demo
cratic party into power by stirring up
hatred toward the nation which has
long since admitted Its error In gov.
ernlng the American colonies, and