Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-24
Foreign Problems Run Together.


In the Journals special Washington
dispatch of Wednesday morning, we
note reference to the "face-about" of
Democracy on the Latin-Amerean poll
icy. They not only accept the Republic
can Munroe doctrine but go a step
farther in proposing proteetorate over
| Nicaragua. One might say that the
Wilson Bryan team was trying TO Gov
er up the lecture course folly by steal
ing Republican thunder.
Another Washington special writer,
| w. E. b. of the Boston Transcript,
writes;
| The Taft Administration concluded
one treaty with Nicaragua and another
| with Honduras which the Senate,
| chiefly because of Democratic opposi-
| ton, refused to ratify because they
provided for collection of the revenues
of those republics by American agents.
| These treaties were criticised because
they were regarded as toe favorable to
| the Morgan interests, which were I'M
| derstood to stand ready to make neces-
| sary loans to the two countries when
| the United States Government through
| the President and the Senate should
| give the same guarantee Of coliectlen
| that already had been given in the case
of Santo Domingo. Defeated i'll these
| treaties, the Taft Administration tfen
proposed to Nicaragua the purchase oil
existing canal rights across the lsthmus
and the cession of an island in Fonseea
| Bay on the Pacific side and of two OF
| the Corn Islands on the Atlantic side,
| tor military use. These propositions
| receiy ed no action in the Senate, but
not long ago they represented the only
| negotiations hanging fire between the
countries. In fact, Secretary Bryan
himself only a short time ago proposed
the ratification of treaty carrying
this bargain into effect and gave not
the slightest intimation that another
programme more far reaching was ah-
der consideration. Now straight out oil
| the blue comes a plan not only accept
| ing all the Taft Administration haa
proposed, but going so far ahead OF II
as to make it evident that. shouio
i the new proposition be ratifled, ehe
| Wilson Administration would staho'
ready to place all Central America ufi-
der the wing of the United States as
| Cuba has been ever since her separation
| from Spain.
The Bryan proposal accepts the Piatt
| amendment to the Cuban treaty In
terms. In other words the treaty win
Nicaragua, if ratified, would foroia
Nicaragua from alternating any laha To
n foreign power for even colonization
purposes. to say nothing of military
or naval. and would render 1t lmpossi-
HE for Nicaragua to borrow money
from any source which could not oe
taken care of from it's revenues after
navment of interest and sinking fund
charges and the expenses of govern
ment. More important than all, MICA
ragua consents that the United States
"may exercise the right to intervene
for the preservation of NICARAGUA III
dependence and the maintenance Oh
Government adequate for the protec-
tion of life. property and individuai
liberty" If such a treaty were IN loIee
with Mexico at the present monieh''
limited States troops would nave
,,artaot RIGHT To cross the border ana
enforce order and to supervise eieeuohs
in that distracted country. Inc hoi
rors of the Huerta regime Wouid oe
i'm nossible. for conditions never "ouio
he permitted to reach the stage "heie
fore;gn life and property would be III
danper--and Japan could not secure
land there for. colonization purposes
"to saw nothing of military or naval
of course it is impossible to forecas.
tho strength of support this Nicarasu-
an plan may win. but the hot "ea'"e'
seems to be having peculiar eHec. opo'
corn. of the gray matter at the ma
tional capital.
This NAV be an inoppcrtune moment
70 mention the fact. but 1t occurs u "s
:, ,bis time that on Tuesday Vim. II.
Murray, congressman-at-iarse i'o'',
oL,aboma. introduced "A compete Sc. vi
r.somtions providing for the nterVeh-
,;on Of the United States In Mexico.
Aroused by severe country-wide cru
;o;sm of it's colorless front on iHp9i.-
ant and pressing foreign aues'iohs' ~.
administration seems now IN dahsei u
no,ling over and spilling CONSERVATIVE
broad minded American policy IN 'he
ashes. -
The sharp distinction between ''o
nroposed Nicaraguan treaty anu ''e
old one is that the latter conteH'pia'eu
only a supervision of the finances u
the island for the purpose of protecting
investors. 1t provided that no loan
should be made without the consent Of
the United States, but 1t gave the
American Government no power except
that which might be exercised by the
financial director of any other business
institution, authorized to collect Diils.