The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-12-07

1 PicnchSioh ~ uASu SuNS tAoS " liz
Monroe doctrine may he said to havs
nearly disappeared, and neither th,
doctrine as 1t exists nor any other. lot.
trine of American policy should bs
permitted to operate for the perpetuu
ton of Irresponsible government. the
escape of just obligations or the insidi
GUS allegation OF dominating ambitions
on the part Of the United States.
My meeting with President Diaz and
4 the greeting exchanged on both Amer.
lean and Mexican soil served. hope,
| to signalize the close aud cordial rela-
lions which so well bind together this
republic and the great republic imme-
| diately to the south. between which
! there is so vast network of material
interests.
| am happy to say that all but one
of the cases which for so long vexed
our relations with Venezuela have
been settled within the past few
months and that. under the enIight-
ened regime now directing the govern
ment of Venezuela. provision has been
made for arbitration of the remaining
case before The Hague tribunal
On July 80, 1909, the government OF
Panama agreed. after considerable ne
gotiation. to indemnify the relatives of
the American officers and sailors who
were brutally treated. one of them
having. indeed. been killed By the
Panaman police this year.
This government was obliged to In
teryene automatically. to bring about
arbitration or settlement OF the claim
of the Emery company against Mica
ragua, which 1t had long before been
agreed should be arbitrated. A settle
ment Of this troublesome case was
reached by the signature Of protocol
on Sept. IS, 1909.
Many years ago diplomatic interven-
ton became necessary to the protec-
ton Of the interests in the American
claim of Alsop s Co against the
government Of Chile. The govern.
ment of Chile had frequently admitted
obligation in the case and had prom
fsed this government to settle 1t. There.
had been two abortive attempts to do
so through arbitral commissions, which
failed through lack OF jurisdiction.
Now. happily, as the result Of the re-
cent diplomatic negotiations, the gov
ernments of the United States and OF
Chile. actuated by the sincere desire
to free from any strain those cordial
and friendly relations upon which both
set such store, have agreed by a proto-
col to submit the controversy to defin-
tive settlement by his Britannia majes-
ty Edward VII
The Nicarasuan Trouble.
Since the Washington conventions OF
1907 were communicated to the gov
eminent Of the United States as con.
sulting and advising party this gov.
eminent has been almost continuously
called upon by one or another and In
turn by all Of the FIVE Central Amer
lean republics to exert itself for the
maintenance of the conventions. Near.
~ every complaint has been against
the Zelaya government of Nicaragua
which has kept Central America In
constant tension or turmoil The re
! sponses made to the representations OF
Central American republics as due
from the United States on account OF
Its relation to the Washington conven.
lions have been at all times conserva-
tive and have avoided, so far as posi-.
BILE, any ssemblance Of interference. al.
though 1t is very apparent that the
considerations OF geographic proximity
! to the canal zone and Of the very sub
stantial American interests in Central
| America give to the United States a
| special position in the zone Of these
republics and the Caribbean sea.
| need not rehearse here the. patien,
efforts Of this government to promote
peace and welfare among these re
publics, efforts which are fully appre
ciated by the majority Of them whit
| are loyal to their true interests. Il
would be no less unnecessary to re
hearse here the sad tale Of unspeak
able barbarities and oppression alleged
| to have been committed by the Zelaya
/ government. Recently two Americana
were put to death by order of Presi
dent Zelaya himself. They were Off
GERS in the organized forces of a rev
olution which had continued man,
weeks and was in control Of abou
half of the republic, and as such, &C
cordfng to the modern enlightened
practice of civilized nations, they wer
entitled to be dealt with as prisoner
of war
At the date when this message il
printed this government has termi
mated diplomatic relations with tn,
Zelaya government for reasons mad
public in communication to the for
mer Nicaraguan charge daffaires an,
Is intending to take such future step
as may be found most consistent witt
Us dignity, its duty to American in
terests and its moral obligations t,
Central America and to civilization. l
may later be necessary for me to bring
this subject to the attention of tn,
congress in special message.
In the Far East.
In the far east this government pre-
serves unchanged its policy of support
ing the principle of equality of oppor
tunity and scrupulous respect for th,
integrity of the Chinese empire, Il