BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-11-16
Concessions As To Canal.
Nature Of Treaty Brodght
BY Lord Pauncefote

Although it is admitted that Great Brit.
ain has agreed to put aside the Clayton
Bulwer treaty, and to acquiesce in the con |
struction of the canal under the contrel OF !
The United States, this concession from
Lord Lansdowne's original contention has
not been granted without some real or fan
cled advantage to Great Britain. It would |
not be fair to say that quid pro quo con.
stituted the main feature Of the protracted |
pourpGrlers, but that it will directly 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 never really objected to the construc |
ton of the canal, but we did and do object
to cavalier abrogation of the Clay ton Bal.
wer treaty. 1t was in that spirit that Lord
Lansdowne couched his reply to the Senate's
rejection Of the last Hsy. .Pauncefote treaty.
1t soas not what you wautsd to do, but the
nasty way you said il, that was the chief
reason tor our opposition. Since then we
have been approached in rational, polite
manner, and we Eave again endeavored to
substitute the Clayton. .Bulwer treaty with
a treaty that will enable America to carry
out design which, in broad sense, will
doubtless benefit the whole world.n
The Modification of the Foreign Office has
doubtless done more than anything else to
secure the assent of the Britirh Government
to new treaty. But, almost in the same
breath, must be mentioned the State De.
lpartments willingness to agree to recipro.
cal arrangements regarding the British
West Indies and other Brstlsh possessions.
This, while in line with the views latterly
attributed by special cable dispatches to
President Mckinley and President Roose.
velt, was 80 at variance with the British
Governments experience Of the American
attitude that they now regard 1T in the light
Of guild pro quo for what they believe to
be concession over the Nicaraguan pro.
posal. The allegation contained in some Of
the British papers that Lord LansdoWne has
tamely given up inhereot rights without any
, return is strenuously denied.
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 80 sure Of
the acceptance of the convention as are
some Of the leading papers on both sides Of
the water. When the flll terms are an.
the Senate may still find objections and that
the forecasts SO far published, attributing
too sweeping concessions" on the part Of
Great Britain, may cause reaction. Fol-
instance, the deduction that the proposed
treaty in any way reaffirms or extends the
, scope of the Monroe Doctrine meets with
a direct denial by the Foreign Office. Fol
these and other reasons Lord Pauncefote il
not likely to affix his signature to the docu.
ment until majority of the Senate shall
, have had full opportunity Tor studying Great
Britain's proposal. There exists here feel.
ing that, after all, the new treaty may be
B pigeon -holed on account of some unexpected
t Senatorial objection, though this develop.
d ment would create the keenest disappoint
z ment.
From diplomatic source there has lately
]. emanated private rumor that the Suea
: Canal Company is using financial and other
!. influence to prevent an agreement being
. reached in regard to the Nicaragua Canal.
, The BRITISH Government is the largest
/ Stockholder in the Sues Canal, but it does
? not appear that this financial interest ever
entered into the discussions of the Nicar.
! arsgua Canal, the considerations involved
therein being regarded as paramount to any
. possible loss of future dividends from the
Suez Canal Company. The actual business
OF the Suez Canal Company is all transacted
! in Paris, where the Secretary. General Of
, the company said to representative Of the
Associated Press:
"For US, the Panama and Nicaragua
! projects do not exist. We pay absolutely
no attention to them: We have never ex
t ercised any influence to prevent either Of
, these schemes from being carried out, and
we never shall do so. We can look for.
ward to the eventual opening of either
, canal scith perfect equanimity, as We do
not anticipate any spprecisble loss Of in.
! come from their competition. We may even