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Show TRICK TURNED BY DIPLOMAT Nlcaraguan Postage Stamps, Issued at Unfortunate Time, Lost That Country the Canal, A postage stamp which played a part in history is told about by M. Bunau-Varllla in his book on the Panama Pan-ama canal. The incident occurred .when the discussion over tho relative .merits of the Panama and Nicaragua routes was at its height Bunau- Varllla had been working vigorously for tho Panama route, making uso of the two arguments of less cost and immunity from actlvo volcanoes. One day ho recalled that Nicaragua had Issued a handsome stamp, showing show-ing a volcano In full activity. Ho at onco sent to the dealers In foreign stamps In Washington, and obtained ninety of these stamps, which ho forwarded for-warded to the ninety senators, along with bits of paper bearing the words: "Postage stamp of the republic of Nicaragua; an official witness of the volcanic activity of Nicaragua." The catastrophe at St Pierre took place about this tlmo, to deepen the impression of volcanic danger, and the Panama routo was adopted by the narrow margin of four votes. |