On Tuesday was published Lord Lansdovrne's despatch refus- ing to
accept the amendments which the Senate made to the Hay- Pauncefote Convention. That Lord Lansdowne gets an easy logical and diplomatic victory over the Senate and the State Department goes without saying. If we think it wise to stand on our strict rights, the Americans have, of course, no case whatever, and it is quite easy to prove also that the Senate not only asked us for a great many concessions with- out making any in return, but also pressed for concessions in a most rude and uncivil way. But in spite of all this, we can- not help thinking that instead of contriving a very effective diplomatic "score," Lord Lansdowne would have been better employed in asking himself what were the essential interests of the United Kingdom in the whole question. We believe that British mercantile and maritime interests demand that the canal shall be made, and when made shall be held by America as we hold the Suez Canal, and that except for keep- ing British Honduras, which of course we shall keep, the less we have to do with Central America the better. As long as we keep the command of the sea—and unless we keep it we cease to count as a nation—we need not get into a panic over the Americans fortifying the canaL Sea power will control the canal, not land batteries.
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