The Sentinel=record., 1915-01-26
OPTION NICARAGUA ROUTE
Securing of This Concession Woulc Be For the Purpose of Protecting This Country Against Contingen- cies That Might Arise.

Washington Jan 25.-Suggesting that if was not unlikely that the United States some day would build another interoceauic waterway to supplant the Panama canal, Secretary Bryan tonight explained that he re- earded it as a wise precauton for the American government to negotiate treaties with Nicaragua and Costa Rica giving this country an option oI canal route across that section of Central America.
 He also spoke of the importance of naval base lr the Bay of Fonseca, and announced that the state depart. ment was prepared to treat for this with Honduras Salvador and Mica. raeua
 Any great enterprise like the Panama canal" said Mir Bryan, in. wolves uncertainties. For long time the route across Nicaragua was regarded as the favored route As matter of business it is wise to pro vide against conting ncies Anybody who is interested 3 so large an eater prse as our canal at Panama can af- ford to pay a small amount for this additional route"
 The secretry explained al len2th the purpose of the pending treaty with Nicaragua, which, in its origi- nal form awakened a protest from Costa Rica as well as Honduras and Salvador He expressed the opinion that these protests had arisen from a misunderstanding of the purpose of the United States and though the situation had not been clarified by the announced purpose of the Amori. can government to treat iberally with Honduras and Salvador for their rights in the Bay of Fonseca and with Costa Rica separately for her portion of the river San Juan, which forms a part of one of the suggested routes,
 As result of these treaties, the United States, by the payment of s.. GOO 000 to Nicaragua and about hal that amount to Costa Rica, would ob- tain an option on any canal route across those two countries.
 Mr Bryan explained that when Costa Rica represented that hec
 lghts were not recognized in the Nicaraguan treaty, the American gov erument pointed out that whenever the canal was dug and there was any threatened interference with Costa Ricas rights, we would take the mat ter up with them; but We told them We would purchase an option at any time"
 What Costa Rica complained of he added was that digging this canal would affect them If you examine the treaty with Nicaragua you win find reference is made to the use of Costa Rican land in making the canal and told them that whenever we had to do anything that affected their land. we would, of course, purchase the option at once It may have been that Costa Rica misunderstood the proposition and thought it included the 'Platt amendment but we had no thought of that"
 AS 10 the naval base m the bay Ol Fonseca. the purchase of which is provided for in the pending treaty with Nicaragua, Secretary Bryan sad that while the bay touched the shores of Honduras and Salvador as well as Nicaragua there was no joint owner jship of the port sold by Mica ragua
 "We have considered all the claims that Salvador has presented, he added. and while we do not concede her right to object to what Nicaragua does. we are willing to treat her the same as Nicarasue to buy a naval base from each one of them so We would have the whole bay to choose from