Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-03-16
Congress is Startled.


Our statesmen at Washington have
all at once made the discovery that,
while England has stipulated in the
Hay>-Pauncciotc treaty that the Unit
al states shall not fortfy the Nicara-
guam canal after building it, that our
loving and pcacefully-inclined neigh
Dor Is erecting some OF the strongest
carthworks in the world at Esquimalt
and Is arming them with finest rapid.
fire ornaments ever constructed
These notifications may be made to
absolutely command the straits oil
Juan dc Fuca, the entrance to Puget
Sound, in case of war with the mother
country, and at the same time leave
our great inland sea open to un.
checked ravages OF British men-of-war.
Very few OF our public men appreci-
ate the character and extent OF the
Notifications at Esquimalt. They do
not know that the work OF planning,
excavating and construction has been
going on for many years, and ap.
parently directed by a much wider
policy than the protection Of her Ca
madam colonies. There has been a
method and completeness in the work,
pursued, with an apparent design for
secrecy, that years ago aroused the ap-
prehension of some of our more wide
awake people, that no other object
could be in view than to obtain su-
premacy on the northern Pacific
coast should it happen at any time
that the many objects of contention
arising between the two nations might
prccipitate war. Very little attention
was ever paid to these warnings, until
now, when Great Britain's restrictions
ut Nicaragua are placed in such
marked contrast with her own course
which seems directed towards placing
her in absolute control of a waterway
wholly, except the entrance, within
the boundaries of the United States
Her action would leave her free, in
tie case of war, to rush her immense
fleet of war ships from ocean to ocean
to attack our seaboard cities and har.
rass our commerce, and at the same
time practically bottle up Puge,
Sound, the Columbia river, and destroy
our rapidly developing trade with oul
Alaskan possessions.
1t seems that We ara indebted &c
Representative Sulzer, of New York
for calling the attention of the govern
ment to this important matter, al.
though we have a Cushman and a
Jones in the House, who should have
known enough to have taken the in.
itiative in the matter. Mr.. Sulzer has
introduced a resolution of inquiry,
and supported it by astrong speech,
in which he said:
These startling revelations cannot
be overlooked. If England objects to
the fertilization of the Nicaragua Canal
there is no friendship displayed in her
activity in fOrtifying the territory con-
tiguous to Puget Sound. The fortifica-
tons are remarkable when viewed in
the light of England's protestations of
friendship, and as We are having diff
Guilty with her over Alaskan and British
Columbian affairs, it is time that an Of
fetal investigation be made as to what
is being done and what she means to do
in the future"
The resolution went to the commit.
tee on Military Affairs. Mr.. Hull,
its chairman, said he saw no reason
why it might not be reported favor
ably and without delay.
"Of course" said he, +" England can
fortify if she wants to; fortify every
inch of British Columbia, because it
is her territory; but her actions are
scarcely those of nation who intends
to continue friendly relations with
this country"
The majority Of the Administration
Republicans who were asked for
opinions on the disclosures admitted
that England was showing her friend.
ship in a peculiar way, and said that
an investigation should be made.
Representative Payne, the floor
leader, refused to discuss the dis.
closures, but said that no opposition
would be offered to thorough inves.
tigation.
Representative Jones, Republican,
OF the State of Washington said
"The exposition of the rapid.fire ar.
mament Of the Notifications at Esqui.
malt should rouse the War Depart
ment from its lethargy, and of course
the work on our forts at Port Towns.
end should be pushed rapidly"