Little But Saucy

Washington, April 29.- The United Statos government has been officially informed of the occupation by tho British of the city of Corinto, Nicaragua. The situation In thnt country is at this writing as follows: Great Britain has occupied Corinto, the principal seaport of Nicaragua, and the British fi g waves abovo the fcown. The three ships, Royal Arthur, Satellite and Wild Swan, have taken positions where they can command the approaches to tho town. The Nicaraguans - military and civilians - have abandoued the place, the soldier withdrawing to the helghts on the mainlaml - Corinto is on a sort of ïsland - and preparing to fight, it seems, if the British shall make any effort to move into the interior. Sharp Play b.v the Nicaragaan9, To cheekinate the British and prolong and complícate tho troubla with the apparent intention of forcing the diffieulty into the domain of the Monroe doctrine and getting it where the United States piust interiore, the Nicaraguau governfnent has closed the port of Corinto. This will prevent merchaut ships from entering to discharge cargo, for if they should do so the goods could not go into the interior without danger of seizure by the Nicaraguans. The only way to moet this move, lor the British, will be for them to occupy other Nicaraguan ports as they are made ports of entry, until tho whole coast is blockaded; or doolare war and capture the capital, Managua Washington Diplomáis Surprísed. The news was a surprise to the state department here. It was believed that the only diffieulty in tho way of a speedy settlement of the trouble was that arising from trouble experienced by the, Nicaraguan government in raising the money hastily, and that the British admiral would be indulgent on this point when once satisfled of the disposition of tho Nicaraguans to comply with the terms of the ultimatum otherwise had never been doubted by the department. As soon as the British had occupied Corinto . the Nicaraguans destroyed the telegraphic connection botween that point and the rest of the world, and the British commander will 'have to send his dispatches by boat to the nearest cable telegraph station. Only Making the Matter Worse. There does not seem to be any doubt anywhere of tho right of Great Britain to domand and collect this smart money, for in maltreating Pro-Consul Hatoh the Nicaraguans were insulting the British flag, a thing that no nation submits to, whether the insulter is big or little. And this resistance and attempt to prevent the British from getting the money wlü, it is expected, only mako the cost greater to Nicaragua, for the British will bo ikely to add the cost of to the original surn. It is doubtlul, moreover, whether the closing of Corinto is such a shrewd move. It is a well-established principie of international law that one payment of duties is enough, and if the British colleco them and tlie Xicaraguans seize the goods she may have thera to pay for.