The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-16
BAD NEIGHBORS.

A dispatch from Kingston, Jamaica, dis
closes a curious situation, with POSSIBLE
ity of new complications springing out OF
that perpetual source of trouble, Central
America The dispatch says that three
delegates from the Mosquito territory have
arrived at Kingston, and are negotiating
with the British government for relief from
Nicaraguan rule. "They have sent signed
letter TO the newspapers" says the dis
patch, setting forth their refusal TO be-
Iieve that Great Britain is abandoning the
Managua treaty, and declaring that the
Mosquito Indians are prepared to fight
rather than accept the continuation of Mic
araguan control" The Mosquito territory
was the source of all our trouble growing
out of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, which,
after an embarrassment of nearly half
century. we are just getting rid of. The
Mosquito Indians are of little more ac-
count than the insect Of the same name,
and their mission seems to be equally to
cause trouble. 1t was because of the Brit
ish claim to exercise a protectorate over
the Mosquito Indians and their territory,
point Of ship canal across the isthmus,
that the United States entered into the
ClaytOn-Bulwer treaty. Under cover of
this claim Great Britain, in 1S4S, seized the
port Of San Juan and made an attempt to
extend the protectorate over all the ada
cent coast. This led to friction with the
United States and eventually to the Clay
faf,,
agreed not TO exercise any dominion"
over the Mosquito coast, though she still
continued to exercise a quasi-protectorate.
In 1860 Great Britain entered into treaty
with Nicaragua, the treaty Of Managua,
which provided that the Mosquito Indians
should have their country as permanent
reserve and the right of self-government,
but should be required TO acknowledge al
Iegiance to Nicaragua They were per-
mitted to have flag of their own, which
must bear some emblem denoting their sub
mission to Nicaragua. By this treaty Great
Britain remanded all claims to a protec-
torate over the Mosquito Indians and their
country in favor Of Nicaragua. In 1894,
during a disturbance at Bluefelds, a Brit
ish warship landed troops there to restore
order. and 70 a request from the United
States for information regarding the trans
action the British government replied that
mo protectorate over the Mosquito Indians,
in substance or in form, is desired or in
tended by the British government" The
Bluefields incident dragged along for some
time, and ended by the Mosquito Indians
formally recognizing the sovereignty of
Nicaragua.
This reorganization throws some light on
the present mission of the Mosquito dele
gates 10 Kingston. They evidently repre-
sent movement to repudiate the sover-
eighty of Nicaragua, and are trying to get
British encouragement to engage in a rev.
olutiOn. Fifty years ago Great Britain
would have promptly accepted an invita-
ton to take hand in that kind of an in
ternational scrap" in Central America,
but times have changed since then IT is
not unlikely however, that IL the Mos
quito Indians carry out their threat of re-
belling against Nicaraguan control Great
Britain may land troops there again to
restore tranquility" and the Bluefelds
incident and diplomatic correspondence
will be repeated. "Our neighbors to the
south of us" as Secretary Hay called them
recently. are bad lot.