The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-30


United states arbitrarily
nullifying Il solemn treaty
obligation because the compact has
ceased to be pleasant is not a happy
one to contemplate, but if the mcm-
bcrs of congress in both houses who
are urging the passage Of the Hepburn
Nicaragua canal bill shall have their
own way, as now seems probable, this
will he the spectacle which our highly
civilized country will soon place before
the worlds critical observation.
The clayton Bulwer treaty which
our state department holds is yet in
full force binds us to q partnership
with Great Britain in any canal which
we may see fit to build on the isthmus
Of Darien. 1t was Il foolish treaty to
make, but our government made it,
and our present president and secre-
tary of state, recognizing the urgent
need of an American canal, decided
that the honorable way to undo the
mistake of the past was to have a
frank talk with Great Britain and to
see on what terms she would be will
ing to cancel the old letters. They
had this talk.-John Hay for the Unit
ed States and sLord Pauncefote for
England--and the result of it was a
new treaty which both signed, agree
ing that the United States may build
and nolice the Nicaragua canal, but
also agreeing that it should be held
~ al tii1lnc montreal and oman on pulI1l
terms to the ships of peace and ships
of war of every nation. This PROPOSE
ton correspondent with our traditional
position with respect to International
waterways; our statesmen have always
stood fOi their naturalization, 50 PrCsi-
dent Mckinley asscnted to the Hay
paurccfote agreement, and it was sent
to the senate for ratification.
In the senate, because England just
now is unpopular and because an
American presidential election is near
a number of senators got together and
knocked out the naturalization clause
the very essence Of the whole treaty
and the condition Of Great Britain's
consent TO the abrOgatiOn of the origi-
nal treaty; and now the house is about
to put through q bill Of its own, calm
ly ignoring our treaty with England
enough land in Central America to
fence the canal III and to run it as a
Yankee property from start to finish.
I'm diplomatic circles" writes Walter
Wellman, there is a great deal Of
feeling on this subject, and the fires
Of Indignation are Only smoldering.
Among our foreign friends stationed
here there is ana2ement that the
United States, champion of liberty,
open doors and Christian statesman
ship, should seriously propose such a
reputation Of an international treaty.
Among Americans who have sufficient
knowledge of the situation to appre-
ciate the seriousness of the crisis and
the danger the nation may incur of
losing the confidence and friendship
of other powers there is q sincere hope
that some better way out of the dilem-
ma may be found
1t is true that when congress passed
the Chinese exclusion act il rode rough
| shod over the most sacred treaty cove
nants with China, but China was weak
and Great Britain is not. The English
might, owing to their South African
troubles, refrain from answering i'm
mediately such an act of bad faith as
its character would deserve, but Ger
many, France ana other nations, with
all Of whom we are having daily more
and more to do, would not fail to
| make note should we put before
them an example Of unrelicved perhdy;
and our open door pledges as 10
| China would not be worth the paper
they are written on. 1t pays to be
| honest.