The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-12
CHANGES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE
DAVIS AMENDMENT PARTICULARLYl
DOES NOT FIND FAVOR IN
BRITISH EYES
NO COUNTER PROPOSALS MADE
General Tone of the Document II
Friendly I'm the Extreme, Even
Though 1t Is Couched In
the Negative.

Faunce1ote treaty made by the senate
was received today by the British am
bassador and communicated to Secretary
Hay. The contents of the document
have not yet been made public, but it
probably reflects the earnest wishes Of
the British government to have Nicara-'
guam waterway international in charac-'
ter, instead of confined to the United
States.
The British answer is a dignifed but
complete rejection Of the senate amend
ments and it leaves upon the United
States government the responsibility for
any further action that may be deemed
eXpedient.
For the present the answer of the Brit
1sh is to be withheld from publication
OF this side of the ocean at least, though
1t is said that after the president has
thoroughly considered the matter a state
ment may be made to the public The
document runs about as such documents
go, and would make about two newspa-
per columns.
The tone of the reply is distinctly
friendly throughout, particularly so in the
repeated assurances of good will and a
desire to reciprocate in the realization Of
this undertaking.
ESSENCE OF THE REPLY.
Although the text is withheld it is un-
derstood the answer takes Up each of the
three amendments made by the senate
and presents the difficulties in the way Of
asserting to them. AS to the amendment
which struck out all that clause Of the
treaty inviting other maritime nations to
concur in the naturalization of the canal,
the British view is that while the United
States and Great Britain can bind them
selves by treaty to neutraliZe the canal
they cannot make this action binding on
all other governments unless these gov
eInments concur. AS to the entire abro-
cation of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, as
provided by one of the set amendments,
it appears to be the British view that
such step is too far reaching to be
taken without some negotiating in
which the side Of the British case is
presented. The so-called Davis amend
ment, however, appears to be the chief
object in the way of an agreement, and
while the British answer makes no sug-
gestion Of any further negotiations, it
seems to be first inference from its
general tone that If fair modification
of this amendment could be secured there
could be an agreement upon other parts
at difference.
NO COUNTER PROPOSAL. Il
The British reply is remarkable in that
it does not make counter propositions,
nor propose further action, yet it does
not preclude such action by laying down
a course which could be adhered to with
out the slightest deviation.
On the contrary the answer takes the
form Of an argument tending to. show
that the amendments proposed by the
senate do not fairly cover the British in
terests involved and on that account
they cannot be considered in the form
proposed.
There is nothing peremptory in the
answer.
The Hay-Pauncefote negotiations have
been in progress for something over two
years and owing to the great interests
involved they have constituted tile chief
issue before the state department The
treaty was signed prior to the opening of
the fifty sixth congress and was sub
mitted to the senate in December, 1892 .
1t at once encountered opposition in that
body, but after considerable delay was
ratified after several amendments had
been adopted.
The chief issue was made on what Is
known as the Davis amendment. While
in terms this did not give the United
States a right to fortify the canal, yet,
in general language. 1t expressed the
right of this country to adopt such
measure in regard to the canal for the
proper maintenance of American author
ity.
After extended debate in executive
to the treaty were adopted and the
treaty was ratified as amended The
two other amendments abrogated the .
Clayton-Rulwer treaty and struck out
the provision of the treaty which invited
other foreign governments to express
their opinions. AS the amendments Gre
ated conditions, which the British gov
ernment had not concurred in when the
original treaty was made, it was neces-
n in
ed form to that government for it's ap-
prOval. 1t is one cf the most important
considerations in the minds of British
statesmen who considered the answer to
be made was that their determination
affected not Only Great Britain and her
maritime interests i'll the canal but all
the nations of Europe and the world, as
the neutralizing of the canal under the
treaty would have the effect of extend
ing the same rights and usages to Ger
many France and other nations which
were enjoyed by Great Britain. 1t is
rather in the character of trustee for the
maritime nations that the amended
treaty was considered.
QUID PRO QUO WANTED.
Furthermore an important consideration
was to the effect of the new instrument
IN completely wiping out the Clayton
Bulwer treaty and the rights which Great
BflIdln CldlnGQ uLQ6T IHdL uOCuHGHLs
Some Of the British statesmen held that
there should be quid pro quo If British
claims under the Clayton-Bulwer treaty
were surrendered. 1t also was held that
Great Britain had certain vested rights
in Central America, which had given
place to the ClaytOn-Bulwer treaty, SD
that if the treaty was to be succeeded
by something less substantial. then the
old vested rights of Great Britain were
obliterated without any adequate return
At the same time the opinion held here
is that the sentiment of British officials
was to avoid a breach or issue with the
United States, and If possible, to ar
range a common basis Of agreement. In
some British quarters it was held that
too much friction had been caused by
the canal question and since the United
States was willing to advance the millions
of dollars required for the canals COM
pletion and then administer it for the
commerce of the United States and the
world at large, it was considered best
to give the United States a certain degree
of authority over the canal, particularly
when It's military necessity required such
authority.