The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-19
SECRETARY KNox's APPEAL.

Secretary Knox's fervent appeal to
| President Taft TO urge the considera
tion OF the Nicaraguan loan convention,
is the natural result of the conditions
and public sentiment which Mr., Knox
found in Nicaragua in his visit there
/ The loan convention was signed at
! Washington on the 9th OF June last:
and has been pending in the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations ever
since that time. it was ratified ON
June 18th by the National Assembly
of Nicaragua; and it is discourtesy
to hang it up so long without action.
On August 9th last. The Tribune had
an editorial explaining this loan con
vention and treaty, and pointing out
its advantages, both to Nicaragua and
to the United States.
The conditions with respect TO the
NicaTaguan customs revenues under this
loan convention and treaty would be
put substantially on the basis that
the Dominican republic g customs reve-
nues are in, that country having citi'
zen OF the United States for its Gus
toms collector and custodian of the
funds, applying the collections to the
payment Of the interest on and the
creation Of sinking fund for the
European loans of Santo Doming and
paying the honest expenses Of running
the government, So in Nicaragua un-
der this treaty, the customs revenues
of Nicaragua would be collected and
administered by a Collector General,
approved by the President Of the
United States, both governments taking
note of the terms of the contract and
giving it requisite support.
The advantages to Nicaragua from
the ratification of this convention are
that the interest on its foreign debt
will be reduced from six per cent to
five per cent, and the customs dues Will
be honestly collected and faithfully
applied. The long-stsnding internal IN
debtedness will be taken up, and the
numerous floating obligations met
Money will be provided for honest
expenditures in the building OF
necessary railroads from the ln
terror to the Caribbean coast
Money will be made of stable value,
and the violent fluctuations In exchange
viii stop. The country will be relieved
of great deal of unnecessary expend'
lures in the suppression Of revolutions
and keeping order, Its army can then
be reduced. and the customhouses,
which are the main incentives for revo-
buttons. being removed from political
control and from any possibility of
seizure by any revolutionary band, the
country will be insured permanent pub
lie tranquility, so that the govern
ment viii thereafter be able TO devote
its energies TO the development of
Nicaragua s material resources and
trade.
The advantage to the United States
will he that uninterrupted trade viii be
established and there will be an end
of the continual diplomatic wrangllng
that has been frequent and bitter.
American interests will be fully main
tanned. and the investment Of American
capital in Nicaragua will be largely
promoted and protected and, in gen
eraI, the great advantage VIII he that
all usual incentives or provocatlous for
European interference will be absolute
" done away with.
Secretary Knox appeal ia one di- |
rectly in the interests of American
good will and commerce, and is a plea
for smIcable cooperation between
Nicaragua and the United States. It
should he listened to favorabIy, and
the ratification of the treaty should be