The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-11-27
COLOMBIA IS TARDY
And Nicaragua May Now Get a
Chance at Canal.
hay IS TIRED OF THE DELAY
Advocates of Nicaragua Route ar(
Greatly Encouraged at Turn OF
Affairs and Hope to Finally
Win Out.

A Washington special says: Inc
negotiations with Colombia relative
to the Panama canal has given great
en- couragement to the friends OF the
Nicaragua project and the first evi-
dence of renewed activity on their
part was the appearance at the state
department Thursday of Senor Cor
rca. Nicaraguan minister to Washing
ton.
Secretary Hay never has taken the
ground that the negotiations with MIC
aragua and Costa Rica were terminal
ed by the passage Of the Spooner
amendment. On the contrary, as ne
felt called on to direct the attention
Of the Colombian government at mo-
ments when the negotiations have lag
ged or unseemly delay intervened, to
the fact that under section 4 OF the
Spooner act, if he is unable to obtain
a satisfactory title from the Panama
company and control Of the necessary
territory in Colombia by treaty, then
he is required to obtain such territory
from Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
The present hitch in the Colombian
negotiations has, therefore, encour-
aged the Nicaraguan contingent, and
it is now said to be probable that to
emphusize the repeated declaration
that the act of congress in the passage
of the Spooner amendment did not
finally commit the United States TO
the acceptance of the Panama route,
Secretary Hay may proceed to ORA"
up a treaty with Nicaragua and Costa
Rica On the lines OF the protocols laid
before the last senate, and submit 1t
to the senate a. it's next session along
with such a treaty with Colombia as
he may be able to conclude. In this
way the senate itself might decide
whether or not the Colombian treaty
is satisfactory, and If it should decS.e
in the negative, then it will have at
hand the Nicaragua-Costa Rican trea-
ties. so that there will be no excure
for delay in the canal project.
AS for the Colombian negotiations,
it can be stated that the United
States has now come to the practical
end of the concessions it is willing to
make. and it has received from Co
lombia a memorandum noting a num-
Der of objections to its proposed
treaty. Some Of these have been ad-
mitted to be well taken, but the great
majority have been regarded as either
in contradiction of the terms Of the
Spooner act or inadmissible for other
reasons. The Colombian minister to
Washington has been notified Of the
decision reached, and is expected to
make further reply, either accepting
Or rejecting our last proposition. The
state department does not regard the
objections lodged by Colon ola as ma
terial; the Colombia on their part
think they are vital. Such, for In
stance, is the difference over the ten
ure of the United States in the canal
strip. This has been alluded to before
as one easy of adjustment, but It now
appears that the Colombians do not
see their way to accepting any OF the
compromising propositions on this
point offered by the United States.
Prominent senators who have been
consulted by the state department
have indicated their strong opposition
to the acceptance of hundred years
lease with a provision of renewal.
Nothing less than perpetual control"
as set down in the act, will satisfy
them. The Colombians say that would
be a violation of their constitution.
But a careful reading Of the Colon
bian constitution by the officials here
does not satisfy them that there is
any such prohibition against aliena-
ton of territory as is represented.