The Washington herald., 1915-01-25
YIELDS rights
in CANAL ROUTE
Secretary Bryan Recognizes
Demands of Costa Rica, Sal
vador and Honduras.
WILL MAKE TREATIES
United States Will Give Nations In
terest in Option on Naval Base
Coded by Nicaragua.

As the result OF repeated protests by
Costa Rica, Salvador, and Honduras Sec
retary of State Bryan has agreed to make
treaties with the governments of these
countries recognizing their interest in
rights conceded to the United States by
the government OF Nicaragua in a treaty
now pending In the United States Sem
ate.
This treaty provides for the -cession to
the United States of an option on the
Nicaraguan interoceanic canal route, and
also gives the United States a naval base
site on the Gulf of Fonseca on the Pa
cifc Coast. The government Of Costa
Rica protested when this treaty was
made that it had not given proper rec
ognition to the interest of Costa Rica in
the Nicaraguan Canal route, while the
governments of Salvador and Honduras
claimed that Nicaragua had no right
to concede to the United States naval
base site on the Gulf of Fonseca with
out their consent as all three countries
have part of their coast line on this gulf.
The Nicaraguan treaty provides for the
payment by the United States for these
concessions of the sum OF S3,0O0,OO0. The
United States has repeatedly contended,
in answer to the protests of Costa Ricai
Salvador, and Honduras, that it fully
recognized In principle the right and in
teTest of these countries in the matter.
1t now is believed that Secretary Bryan's
consent to make treaties giving further
recognition can mean nothing less than
an agreement to compensate these other
countries. In as much as the Nicaraguan
treaty has been before the Senate for
more than two years without being rati-
fed it is not believed that its path will
be made any smoother by further prom
ises to pay for the canal route option
and the naval base site.
The claim of Costa Rica, which, with
Salvador has led the agitation in Cen
trail America against the Nicaraguan
treaty is based on the fact that the pro-
posed canal route lies along the San
Juan River which forms part of the
boundaries between Nicaragua and Costa
Rica. The treaty between the United
States and Costa Rica made just be-
fore the Panama Canal construction was
begun provided that whenever the United
States undertook to build a canal along
the Nicaragua route, recognition would
be given to the interests of Costa Rica
in that route as it lay in the San Juan
River. The Costa Ricans have protested
that the Nicaraguan treaty did not full
fill this pledge and have repeatedly
urged that the United States do something
for Costa Rica IL it proposed to pay Mic
aragua any money for an option on the
route.
Heretofore this government has con-
tended that inasmuch as the Nicaragua
treaty gave only an option 1t would be
time enough to talk about compensating
Costa Rica when the actual construction
of the canal along this route was begun.
II is now understood. however. that
Secretary Bryan has yielded to the urg
ings of not only Costa <Rica, but also to
Salvador and Honduras. 1t is the belief
that Secretary Bryan was led to give this
consent for the sake of preserving friend
ly relations with the three little republics.
The Nicaraguan treaty has been made
the basis Of most bitter anti-American
campaigns throughout Central America
officials of the governments and also pri-
vate individuals have INDUCED in the
most violent language with respect to
the United States and its policies in Cen
trail America
Bryan Approved Knox Treaty.
This agitation began as soon as the
treaty was negotiated by former Secre-
tary of State Knox. The previous admin
istration. however, held the view that
the agitation against the treaty was not
wholly in good faith and maintained that
no haIgl had been done to any legitimate
interest of Costa Rica, Salvador, or Hon
duras by the convention. When Secre-
tary Bryan came into power he not only
approved the Knox treaty, but he added
to it articles which have put Nicaragua
on the same terms with the United
States as the Republic of Cuba by virtue
of what is known as the PIatt amend
ment. In the face Of strong opposition
in the Senate Cormittee Secretary Bryan
restored the treaty to its original form
and as such it has recently received a
favorable vote in the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, but there still re-
mains in the Senate much opposition to
the agreement. It is not believed that
the proposed treaties with the other three
countries will advance the progress Of
the Nicaragua treaty in the Senate.