THE INTEROCEANIC CANAL PROBLEM 169 



diplomatic entanglements which for fifty years had prevented 

 the realization of their hopes. The people at last concluded 

 that the Clayton-Bulwer treaty was to be abandoned. A con- 

 gratulatory tone pervaded the press comments, while the 

 appearance of the new treaty was eagerly awaited. Surmises 

 were rife that Great Britain, having encountered evil fortune 

 in South Africa, and being in danger of European intervention, 

 had consented to withdraw her Central American pretensions 

 for the sake of assured American friendship. It was also sus- 

 pected that in order to humor Canada, England might ask of 

 the United States concessions in Alaska, and give in return 

 all that was demanded relative to the canal. On February 

 5, the Hay-Pauncefote Convention was signed, sent to the 

 Senate, reacf and immediately referred to the Committee on 

 Foreign Relations. It was entitled, " A Convention between 

 the United States and Great Britain to Facilitate the Con- 

 struction of a Ship Canal to Connect the Atlantic and Pacific 

 Oceans, and to Remove any Objection which Might Arise out 

 of the Convention Commonly Called the Clayton-Bulwer 

 Treaty." The agreement called for the construction of the 

 canal under the auspices of the United States Government, to 

 be done at its own expense and to carry with it the enjoyment 

 of all the rights incident to such construction. The " General 

 Principles " o{^neutrajiza^ji_as established in the eighth 

 article of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty were to be preserved, 

 and to that purpose a set of rules analogous to those con- 

 tained in the Constantinople treaty (October 29, 1888) were 

 adopted. These rules called for () freedom of transit in 

 times of j^ainor^rjieace to all vessels of all nations ; (5) a free- 

 dom from blockade ; (<?) a code of procedure for war vessels 

 entering and leaving the canal ; (c?) no fortifications along 

 the route. The high contracting parties should call upon 

 the other powers to unite with them in guaranteeing neu- 

 trality of the canal. 



When the text of the convention was made public a few 

 days later, it bewildered the country. Those who endorsed 

 the principles of neutralization, for which the new treaty 

 stood, were amazed, because the administration had already 



