Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-12-10


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
the greeting exchanged on both Amer
lean and Mexican soil served, | hope.
to signalize the close and 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 a network of material
interests.
am happy to say that ali 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 enlight-
ened regime now directing the govern
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
tervene automatically to bring about
arbitration or settlement of the claim
of the Emery company against Mica
ragua, which it had long before been
agreed should he arbitrated. a settle
ment of this troublesome case was
reached by the signature of a 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 & Co against the
government of Chile. The govern
ment of Chile had frequently admitted
obligation in the case and had prom
ised this government to settle it, 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 proto-
col to submit the controversy to defin
tive settlement by his Britannia males
ty Edward VII.
The Nicaraguan Trouble.
Since the Washington conventions of
1907 were communicated to the gov
eminent Of the United States as a 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
ly 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
it's relation to the Washington conven-
tons have been at all times conserva-
tive and have avoided, so far as posi-
BILE, any semblance of interference. al
though it 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 patient
efforts of this government to promote
publics. efforts which are fully appre-
ciated by the majority of them who
are loyal to their true interests. 1t
would be no less unnecessary to re-
hearse here the sad tale of unspeak-
able barbarites and oppression alleged
to have been committed by the Zelaya
government. Recently two Americans
were put to death by order of Presi-
dent Zelaya himself. They were Off
GERS in the organized forces of rev
olutiOn which had continued many
weeks and was In control of about
half of the republic, and as such, ac-
cording TO the modern enlightened
practice OF civilized nations, they were
entitled to be dealt with as prisoners
of war.
At the date when this message is
printed this government has termi.
mated diplomatic relations with the
Zelaya government for reasons made
public In a communication to the for
mer Nicaraguan charge daffaires and
is intending TO take such future steps
as may be found most consistent with
its dignity, Its duty to American in
terests and its moral obligations to
Central America and to civilization. II
may later be necessary for me to bring
this subject to the attention of the
congress in a 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 the
integrity of the Chinese empire, tC