STAMPS AS WITNESS

Waipa Post, Volume 36, Issue 2146, 19 April 1928, Page 2

STAMPS AS WITNESS

The history of the republic of Nicaragua, now so prominent in connection with Pan-American controversies, was once profoundly affected by an unlucky postage stamp (says the Manchester Guardian). When the United States first took up the project of an inter-oceanic canal it seemed likely that the route selected would be via Nicaragua rather than Panama. President Roosevelt advocated the Nicaragua scheme, and the Isthmian Canal Commission had also reported in its favour.

During the debates in the Senate a question arose as to the risk to which the stability of a Nicaragua canal would be exposed through, the activity of volcanoes in the neighbourhood. The supporters of the Nicaragua route insisted that there were no active vblcanoes in the country. Unfortunately for their argument, there had been issued in 1900 a postage stamp showing the mountain of Momotomba in eruption and the population in flight. The propagandists for Panama bought enough of these stamps to send one to each Senator, with a note: "An official witness of the volcanic activity of Nicaragua." This evidence dealt a death-blow to

the Nicaragua proposal, and the Pal- - route was selected.