Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-26
PAUNCEFOTE
PACT ONCE MORE
British Governments Answer Ex.
pressing Inability to Accept
Made Public.
GEN. MILES RETURNS FROM CUBA,
Believes the Cubans Will Accept the
PIatt AmendmeRt-Addre
Convention.

Washington, March 26.-The answer
of the British government expressing
its inability to accept the Hay-Paunce-
fote treaty i'll the form amended by
the United States senate was made
public yesterday. 1t is in the form
OF Il communication from Lord LanS-
| downe, British minister of foreign af-
fairs, TO Lord PauncefOte, and asks
the latter to read the dispatch to the
secretary of state and to leave copy
in his hands oI.rd Lansdowne be-
gins by showing there was no desire
or the part of the British government
to change the Clayton Bulwer treaty.
But some of its provisions, he says,
had been regarded with diSfavor by
the government of the United States,
and in the presidents message of De-
cember, 1898, il was urged that the
national policy called more imperative
ly than ever for the control of the
projected highway by the government
of the United States. Lord Paunce-
fote made inquiry of the secretary OF
state as TO this attitude of the presi-
dent, the result being summarized by
Lord Lansdowne as follows:
Lord Lansdowne's Answer.
In reply, the views of the United
States government were very frankly
and openly explained. You We're most
emphatically assured that the preSl-
dent had no intention whatever of ig-
nOring the Clayton Bulwer convention.
and that he would Loyalty observe
treaty stipulatiOns. But i'll view Of
the strong national feeling in favor of
the construction of Nicaragua canal
and of the improbability of the work
being accomplished by private enter
prise, the United States government
were prepared to undertake il them
selves upon obtaining the necessary
powers from congress For that pur
pose, however. they must endeavOr,
lIX- FRIENDLY negotiations. to obtain the
consent of Great Britain to such Il
modification OF the Clayton Bulwer
treaty as. without affecting the gen
cral principle therein declared. would
enable the great object in view to he
accomplished for the benefit of the
commerce of the world"
Not Prepared to Meet Treaty.
The result. however, of the discus
siOns. Lord LanSdowne says, was the
treaty which Mr.. Hay handed TO Lord
PauncefOte in January, 1899. The
British government was not vet pre-
pared to accept the treaty. as. serious
difficulties had arisen in seeking to
arrange affairs then pending before
the joint high commission and Lord
Salisbury did not see how her ma
ieSty'S government could sanceian any
convention for amending the Clayton
BulweT treaty, as the opinion of this
country would hardly support them in
making a concession which would be
wholly to the benefit of the United
States at time when they appeared
to be so little inclined to come to
satisfactory settlement in regard to the
Alaskan frontier"
Prefer to Retain Clayton BuIwer Pact.
His objections to each of the three
senate amendments and concludes as
follows: Il request that your excel
lency will explain to the secretary of
state the reasons. as set forth in this
dispatch. why his majesty's govern
ment feel unable to accept the conven-
tion in the shape presented to them
by the American ambassador and why
they prefer. as matters stand at pres
ent, to retain unmodifed the provisions
of the Clayton .Bulwer treaty His
majeSty's government have. through
out these negotiations, given evidence
of their earnest desire 10 meet the
views of the Unitd States. They would
on this occasion have been ready to
consider in friendly spirit any amend
ments of the convention. not incon-
sistent with the principles accepted
by both governments. which the gov
ernment of the United States might
have desired 10 propose, and they
would sincerely regret failure to
come to an amicable understanding in
regad to this important subject"
GEN. MILES RETURNS.