162 THROUGH THREEFOLD TENSION 



tectorate&quot; was, therefore, the diplomatic equiv 

 alent of a fraud. As to Belize, history revealed 

 that British rights there were limited to certain 

 privileges of cutting mahogany and dye-woods, 

 and included no political authority. This dis 

 posed of the claim to power over the adja 

 cent islands as dependencies of British Hon 

 duras. The act of Great Britain in erecting 

 these islands into a colony was therefore repug 

 nant to the announcement of President Monroe, 

 often since formally reiterated, that the United 

 States could not recognize the American con 

 tinents as open to colonization by European 

 powers. 



Controversy on the lines of these widely 

 divergent views was active in diplomacy and 

 in popular debate for many years. Greytown, 

 or San Juan de Nicaragua, assumed much 

 importance as a station on the route of the 

 thousands who were seeking California. Amer 

 icans in this adventurous host often took pains 

 to show their disrespect for the officials who 

 were exercising de facto authority there, and 

 incidents occurred from time to time that 

 caused popular indignation to flame high on 

 both sides of the Atlantic. The troubles culmi 

 nated in the bombardment and destruction of 



