Evening star., 1901-03-26
Proposed Abrogation Of Clayton
Bulwer Treaty.
CANAL MATTERS HAVE TO WAIT
Lord Lansdowne's Communication
Not a Surprise.
ENGLAND's ALLEGED POLICY

The reasons assigned by the British gov
ernment for rejecting the amended Hay
Pauncefote treaty were read with great in
terest in legislative circles in Washington
Senators who took part In the debates on
the treaty. and who are in the city still.
noted with care the press summarization Of
Lord Lansdowne's communication. Several
senators. 1t is said, will call upon the State
Department for complete copies Of the cor
respondence.
1t cannot be said that Lord Lansdowne's 8
arguments were in any way surprising to
those Of the national legislators who have
followed the case. 1t was expected that he
would make just such a reply, indicating the
policy of England to be determination to
insist upon the validity of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty, and to demand some valuable
consideration for her consent to its abro-
cation. The reference to the Alaska bound
ary dispute is deemed significant in this
connection.
Those senator's who have been prominent
in insisting that the United States should
abrogate the Bulwer-Clayton treaty and go
ahead with the construction Of the Mic
aragua canal take the ground that Lord
LanSdowne's arguments merely consti-
tute another play for delay on the part
of England in the construction Of the ca
nal, at the same time putting the United
States necessarily In the attitude Of TAX
Ing the next step in the direction of abro-
cation Of the treaty, which England still
holds valid
EngIand's Policy Of Delay.
Senator Morgan Of the foreign rela-
tions committee, in speech that he made
In the Senate just before the adjourn
ment of the Senate this month, practically
forecasted this alleged policy of delay, and
pointed out the advantages which. in his
opinion, would induce the British gov
ernment to follow that policy.
During all these years. while we have
been hugging to our bosom the hope that
we should be able to build this great wa
terway for the people Of the United States
and the world. Great Britain has observed
a profound but golden silence said Sen
ator Morgan in the course Of that speech.
Il call 1t a golden silence because 1t has
been a golden harvest of wealth to Great
Britain. During the years that she has
thus Kept Liverpool as the center of the
commerce Of the earth she has reaped har-
vests from the labor Of the people of the
United States that are absolutely incalcu-
liable in figures. She has made her wealth
and her power for more than one hundred
and twenty-five years out Of the fact that
Liverpool has been the commercial center
of the world We have sent everything to
Liverpool that we had to spare for sale:
and it has only been a very recent period
in which we have attempted by various
Liverpool some part Of the gains she has
been making upon US.
Fears the Isthmian Canal.
But the power and prosperity of Great
Britain have been due to the fact, the one
single geographical fact, that Liverpool
has been and is today the commercial CEN
ter Of the whole world. That depends upon
another single fact-that Liverpool Is nearer
to the markets Of the earth than any other
great city Of the world. By the markets
I mean the eighteen or twenty great cities
that skirt the shores Of the South Atlantic
and Of the Pacific oceans;so that the dispo-
sit1on OF Great Britain not to disturb or to
have drawn In question any matter that
arises out of the Clayton-B Bulwer treaty so
long as her silence is sufficient to keep us
subdued Is golden silence. She has never
ceased to contemplate with alarm the fact
that the Nicaragua canal will make New
York the commercial center Of the world
and the only real competitor Of Liverpool
There cannot be anything more precious
or profitable to Great Britain today than
to prevent the rivalry Of the Nicaragua ca
nal. The Suez canal and the Nicaragua ca
nal are the two gateways between the At
lantfc and Pacific oceans, one in the east
ern hemisphere and the other correspond
fngiy in the western hemisphere. There are
no other places where these gateways can
be made, and there is no government or
people or potentate or man who can create
the NJ Nicaragua % canal except the government
derstands that. and If by the preservation
OF her golden silence she can still prevent
US from doing that work her profts will
not only continue. but will increase from
the fact that she shuts out the Competition
of the Nicaragua canal"
To Abrosate the Treaty.
1t Is said in senatorial circles where Sem
ator Morgan's position is supported that
the case will now remain in statu quo until
Congress meets, when an attempt will be
made to abrogate the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty. Senator Morgan virtually gave
notice of that action in the same speech,
from which the foregoing quotations are
made. He said at that time:
Il am trying to convince the President of
the United States and Lord Pauncefote and
the British cabinet, whoever they are, Lord
Lansdowne and others, that now that they
have frowned down the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty and by their silence have destroyed
it, there is no possibility to deal with the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty. either in legisla
tive sense or in a diplomatic sense, with
the United States government otherwise
than merely to put it to death. If it is not
already dead. We will make no compro-
mise with Great Britain on that subject.
We will make no concession to Great
Britain in respect of the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty. All that we will do with it-and
some of our people are even opposed to
that-we will take it up and declare that it
is abrogated, at least as to all of it's un-
executed parts.
Now, Just in that aspect of this case
arises the question whether the Senate of
the United States. either as a diplomatic
body or as legislative body, Is willing to
have it's course Of duty to the United States
impeded by the insistence Of Great Britain
upon the Clayton-Bulwer treaty in all Of its
terms unless we shall consent to associate
with that treaty some new modification or
some method Of compensation in order to
satisfy Great Britain in giving up her con-
tention that it Is valid and Is in full force
ana effect against u.s."
THE HEAD-ON COLLISION.