New-York tribune., 1901-11-03
THE CANAL NEGOTIATIONS
LORD PAUNCEFOTE BRINGS OVER THE
NEW CONVENTION
BRITISH FEELINGS MO1.LIFIED AND THEIR
ASSENT OBTAINED FOR AMERI-
CAN CONTROL.

BRITISH FEELINGS MoLLIFIED AND THEIR
ASSENT OBTAINED FOR AMERI-
CAN CONTROL.
London, Nov 2.-The first official statement Of
any kind made for month in relation the
Nicaragua Canal has been obtained by The
Associated Press. 1t confirms the fact that
Lord Pauncefote. the British Ambassador to
the United States. when he lands in New-York
to-day will have with him the draft of
treaty abrogating the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty
which is in every particular satisfactory to Lord
Salisbury's Cabinet. Since a representative of
The Associated Press talked with Lord Paunce
fote in London not one word officially au-
thorized has been given out here with reference
to the canal The editorial comments which
have appeared in England have been based
| entirely upon dispatches from the United States.
This is explained by the rather astonishing
nouncement that all negotiations up to the
present day have been entirely unofficial from
| strictly diplomatic point of view. and that on
pourparlers only depend the general hopes for
| a successful bridging over of the diplomatic
difficulty. These pourparlers, however have
been particularly searching.
The State Department does not require to see
a copy of the important document Lord Paunce-
fote carries in order to learn it's terms, though,
! officially, negotiations will only begin when the
ambassador reaches Washington. Until that
time the exact conditions of the conven-
tion withheld.
QUID PRO QUO FOR ENGLAND
Though it is admitted that Great Britain has
agreed to put the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty to one
side and to acquiesce in the construction of the
canal by and under the control of the United
States. this concession from Lord Lansdowne's
original contention has not been granted with
nut inI oI,ror, fSraaS
Britain 1t would not be fair to say that
I quid pro quo constituted the main feature OF
the protracted pourparlers. but that 1t will di-
! rectly or Indirectly result is firmly established
in the minds of the members of the Cabinet
One Of the most responsible officials connected
with these and the earlier negotiations said:
We really objected to the construction
of the canal. but we did and do object to
cavalier abrogaton of the Clayton Buwer
Treaty. 1t was in that spirit that Lord Lans-
downe couched his reply to the Senate's re1ec-
tion of the last Hay-Pauncefote Treaty. 1t was
not what you wanted to do. but the nasty way
you said 1t, that the chief reason for our
opposition. Since then We have been ap-
preached in rational, polite manner. and we
have again endeavored to substitute for the
Clayton-Eulwer Treaty a treaty that will en-
+ able America to carry out a design which. In
broad sense. will doubtless benefit the whole
world.
The notification of the Foreign Office has
/ doubtless done more than anything else to Sc
cure the assent of the British Government to a
new treaty. But almost in the same breath
must be mentioned the State Departments s
Willingness agree to reciprocal arrangements
regarding the British West Indies and other
British possessions. This, while In line with the
views latterly attributed by special cable dis
patches 20 President Mckinley and President
Roosevelt. was at variance with the British
Governments experience OF the American atti-
tF f,t liyhr M a
qu'd pro quo for what they believe to be con-
cesson over the Nicaragua proposal The al
legation contained in some of the British papers
that Lord Iansdowne has tamely given up in
herent rights without any return Is strenuousiy
denied on the foregoing grounds.
DOUBTFUL STILL OF IT'S ACCEPTANCE
What is perhaps more interesting even than
the reasons prompting Great Britain to send
over Lord Pauncefote with his draft OF treaty
Is the fact that the inner circles of the Cabinet
are not nearly sure of the acceptance OF the
convention as are some OF the leading papers on
both sides of the water When the full terms
are announced il is feared that some members
of the senate may still find objections, and tna'
the forecasts so far published, attributing too
swoening concessions" on the part Of Great
Britain may have a harmful reaction FOR
instance the deduction thai the proposed treaty
in any ,ya, reafrlrrns or extends the of the
Monroe Doctrine meets with a direct denial
! by the Foreign Office. For these and other rea-
sons Lord PaunCefote is not likely to afllx MS
signature to the document until majority OF
the senate shall have had full opportunity Tor
studying Great Rrtain's proposal
In the mean while there exists mere stolca
and rather amusing feeling that. after ALL the
new treaty may be pigeonholed on account OF
some unexpected Senatorial objection. thoush
this development would create the keenest as
appointment despite its present stolcal antlcipa
ton. ,,o,,.
! emanated a rumor that the Suez Canal Com
pany is using financial and other influence 10
: prevent an agreement being reached IN resdlu
70 the Nicaragua Canal 1t has been further re-
ported that this powerful corporation has joined
! hands with several leading American interests
alleged to he opposed to the construction OF .ni @
latter waterway. The Associated Press learns
/ however that Investigations carried on here ana
elsewhere In which Washington Is not an en-
trely disinterested party, reveal that tnere Is
no evidence of such Vaccinations by the Suez
Canal Company. though the head OF one OF the
British state departments admitted that lhe
Nicaragua Canal would probably rop the Sue%
Canal of all It's Far Eastern trade Inc BTU
ish Government is the largest stockholder in the
Suez Canal but II does not appear that TINS
financial interest ever entered INTO the oiScuS-
sions of the Nicaragua Canal. the considera-
-ionc involved therein being regarded as so
paramount to any possible loss of future dlvl-
/ dends from the Suez Canal Company as 10 De
unworthy of being coupled with the subject
Tba actual business of the Suez Canal Com
panv is all transacted in Paris. where the secre-
tary general of the company said TO repre-
sentative Of The Associated Press:
For us the Panama and Nicaragua proJectS
do not exist We pay absolutely no attention
to them. We have never exercised any i1ihu-
ence to prevent either of these schemes from
being carried out, and shall never do So
We can look forward to the eventual opening
of either canal with perfect equanlmity. as we
do not anticipate any appreciable loss OF income income
by the general development Of the traffic that