The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-24
FORTIFY NICARAGUA CANAL.
EDMUNDs ASSERTS THAT COURSE
SIIoULD BE PURSUED.

Relieves the CIaytOR-Buiwer Treaty.
Ceased to BE binding Upon the
United states Nearly Fifty Years
ASc--Mr. ISdmunds says We shoult
cons,rucf. own and Operate the
CouaI. and should Fortify II for
Our own Protection.
Washine on. Feb. %. Former Senator
George f. Eimunds is an earnest and
consistent 4. lvocate of the construction
ana OWNERSHIP of the Nicaragua canal by
the United Stat IS government
wbje in he S. nate Mr.. Edmunds serv-
oil On inc Tudtelaly Committee, and also
on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, ana
he q, niovs the repuG 'uon OF DelhS one
OF the ablest authoriL es OF the present
generation on lniernaut MAJ Jaw ilaNIls
given the canal question ana me lnlerila-
tional- questions involved HHch 'nous.il
ana study, Mr. Edluunds was en"plea 10
discuss The DE- ndng question win me TO-
dav IN a highly interesting and lnstFuc-
tive manner.
Il cannot Join with those who iaVoF
the canal" said Mr.. E,tmunds' IN colt
sidering that the proposed tday-fa uilee-
fote treaty. abroeates the ElaNIon-BuIWcr
treatv In NV Judgment tEe Clayton-Bul-
wer treaty cea sed to be bin ding upon the
United States nearly fifty Years ago py
reason Of violations of its stpulauohs ny
Great Britain Under the circu instances IL
is idle for me 20 discuss Whet4eI oI ilV'
the new treaty abruSateS the CIaS LOU
Bulwer treaty. l have always oeeh IA
favor Of the building Of the Nicaragua
canal by the United states Cover mneht'
and / am more than ever impressed win
the Importance Of the carly complel on Oh
that work ! favor the buildlnS OF lhe
canal on tie lines of the Arthur lItatS.
Let the United States 80 aheao ana ~
struct the canal, after making lDle
ARRANGEMENTS with Nicaragua and OF her
South American states directly lnteIeS' gu.
I wouid have Che United States constrtct
own ana regulate the tolls oil the cdifdl'
l would take in Nicaragua ana N'"'tu
Rica OF such South American states as
may furnish territory 10 aid in the COM
melton Of the work / would give those
states a reasonable share in the proH's OF
the canal. but the United STATES Wouu
exercise absolute control over the CANA
and regulate the administra> ION oil us az
fairs without asking the coilsent OF any
other nation in the word. That IS my
view of the subject in conciaa FORM ana
i wish you would so state II III Inc lier"An
for me-
should BE Fortified,
Continuing Mr. Edmunds said: As TO
the question of fortfy5ng the canal pc
lieve it would be both wise ana pluueut
for the government of the United states
TO throw around the canal every reason
able safeguard for it's Lrotectlon' as 10
insure its successful opera ION in uue OF
war with foreign power. II mas peeu
argued in opposition to the proposition TO
protect the canal that ii s'h. trd!y reason
able to suppose that it would De seiecteu
as the battle ground Ior an
international conflict 1t is also
urged that the Suez canal has ever oeell
made the. scene of European war are. II
any nation would 90 to war wih Greal
Britain and it became necessary 10 hlhuer
the passageway through the Suez anal
the nation at war with Great Br1 tam
would at once try to destroy the Suez ca
nal or render il ineffective while waEftn r
continued! ] take it THAI the Unitet
States might encounter similar difficulties
al Nicaragua. If the United States built
and owned that canal and we would be-
come involved in a war with foreign
Power that Power would, in my judgment,
try to destroy Che effectiveness of the ca
nal because of the damaging effects it
would have upon our navy and transport
service, 10 say nothing of the inestimabe
damage il would inhict upon our COM
merce. Under the circumstances, in my
judgment, we should take every reason
able precaution 90 protect it, for l sincere
ly believe that in the course of time that
cana VIII become a part of our great sys-
en- OF national waterways