THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

New Zealand Mail, 8 February 1900, Page 23

THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

ABANDONMENT OF BRITISH ' INTEREST. . WASHINGTON, February 5. Reuter’s correspondent at Washington states that Britain has agreed with the United States Government to relinquish her right of . joint Anglo-Ameri-can control of the Nicaragua Canal, without asking for any compensation for the concession. FEELING IN AMERICA. POPULARITY OF THE AGREE- _ • ■ MENT. NEW YORK,. February 6. An Anglo-American Convention, under which Great Britain relinquishes control of the Nicaragua Canal, has been sighed and submitted to the Senate, In this it is guaranteed by America that the canal will be neutral and free. 1I- '■ LONDON, February 6. The New York correspondent of “The Times” says that no recent agreement is comparable with this one in its effect on the relations between England and the United States. The English newspapers are satisfied that British commerce will largely benefit by the new arrangement. America has no need, it is pointed out, to obtain the co-operation of foreign capital to ensure the success of the canal. Under the Clayton-Bulwer treaty of 1849 Great Britain and the United States bound themselves not to acquire sovereign rights over any canal in Central America. Hence all provision for the' construction of the Nicaragua Canal has up to the present been hampered

by the provisions of the treaty. The abrogation of the treaty by Great Britain will now leave the way open to the American Government to proceed with the construction of a most important work.