Evening star., 1901-11-18
Action by Representatives Of Eng
land and America.
TEXT OF CONVENTION STILL SECRET
Agreement Regarding the Pro-
posed Isthmian Canal.
AWAITS SENATE'S APPROVAL

Secretary Hay and Lord Pauncefote, thu
British ambassador, at 1905 o'clock to-
day signed the new Hay-Pauncefote treaty
This treaty is intended to replace the frs
Hay-Pauncefote treaty. That convention
was amended so extensively by the United
States Senate at its last session that the
British government declined to ratify It
Within q few weeks negotiations begar
afresh between Secretary Hay and Lore
Pauncefote, which have just resulted in the
signature of the new treaty, drawn with
special reference to the objections found by
the Senate with the first treaty.
Text of Treaty Secret.
From a due sense of the courtesy which
must be observed toward the United States
Senate wherever a treaty is concerned, the
State Department Is estopped from max
ing public the text of the new convention,
and that document will remain secret un-
til the Senate itself shall break the seal of
confidence. 1t is said at the State Depart
ment that the various publications which
have been made Of the alleged text Of the
treaty are all erroneous and conJectural,
though, in view of the rather free admis-
sions that have been made Of the purposes
of the negotiators, it has been possible by
the use of the text of the older treaty. to
construct one very similar in general terms
to the new convention.
Sole Guarantor of Neutrality.
The principal point of difference between
the new and the failed treaty is the with
drawal of Great Britain from the joint
guarantee of the neutrality of the canal,
thus leaving the United States the sole
guarantor. The excision Of the old provis-
ion respecting the right to fortify the canal
leaves that right by inference optional with
the United States. All commerce of what
ever nationality passing through the canal
will fare alike; there will be no discrimina-
ton in rates in favor of United States ship
ping.
Otherwise the new treaty is in scope
technically the Clayton-Bulwer treaty,
drawn on April 10, 1850. By the terms of
that old convention the United States and
Great Britain agreed that neither should
across the isthmus. BY the new conven-
tion Great Britain yields her right in favor
of the United States, which is thus at lib
erty to construct canal.
Awaits Senatorial Action.
Nothing more remains to be done, so far
as this treaty is concerned before the Sen
ate meets. or. indeed, until the treaty has
been either ratified, rejected or amended.
Supposing 1T is ratified, the State Depart
ment will proceed Immediately to negotiate
the necessary treaties with Costa Rica and
Nicaragua, for which 1t has already ar
ranged in protocols pending before the
Senate.
These treaties permit the canal to be
constructed and prescribe the terms upon
which the consent of Nicaragua and Costa
Rica is given. 1t was In anticipation of
action on this line, it is presumed, that
the Nicaraguan. government only recently
denounced the treaty of trade and COM
merce with the United States. That treaty
contained sections conveying rights as to
canal construction which are to be re-
placed by more modern provisions r.
The Ceremony of Signing.
There was no particular ceremony con-
nected with the signature today of the i'm
portant convention. Lord Pauncefote had
been indisposed for several days past, and
it was not expected that the treaty could
be signed before the end of the current
week. However, to the surprise Of the
State Department officials, the ambassador
appeared at the department about noon
and the work of signing the treaty was
soon dispatched.
The scene was the historic diplomatic
chamber of the State Department. Beside
the principals, Secretary Hay and Lord
Pauncefote, there were present Mr.. Sidney
Smith, chief of the diplomatic bureau of
the State Department.; Mr. Percy Wynd-
ham, the second secretary of the British
embassy, and William Gwin and Edward
Savoy, the Secretary of States private mes
sengers, whose duty 1t was to attend to the
afhxing Of the seals. The treaty was signed
by Secretary Hay with a gold pen in a
silver penholder, which has already been
and is the personal property Of the Secre-
tdry