The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1892-09-17
WALKER TO ACT.
The Admiral Charged With .
Most Important Mission TO
Venezuela.
He Will Stand Between That
Country and British En-
crOachments.

reasons for believing that the sealed IN
structions which were to-day delivered to
Admiral Walker on board the Chicago
entrusted him with q mission more I'M
portant perhaps than any that has been
contided to any American officer IN recent
years. Admiral Walkers mission to Ia
Guyara with his squadron will be to prefer
the friendly intervention OF the United
States to the Venezuelan authorities, who.
ever they may be by the time he arrives
there, for the purpose of preventing the
final absorption OF Venezuelan territory ny
Great Britain, to secure the restoration OF
the status quo az to boundaries as It ex.
listed prior to 1871. and to obtain con-
sent for the SUI p~lission to arbitration ipf
the question oftitfe tosthe territory insdis-
pute between the two governments. Inc
key note of the whole expedition Is iound
in the following extract from q dispatch adj
ID sed to Mr.. Blaine before his resignation
o. he state department portfolio by Mr..
r. aza, the Venezuelan minister at WASH
ington: .'. 3 =
A CALL FOR AID. IS
1.-THE Hon. Mr.. Blaine is really aware
that the agents of the government OF
Great Britain have taken possession of ter
ritory of the Port of Barma at the mouth
of the Orinoco, which up to that time had
been posses led by Venezuela, whose title to
it was indisputable. 1t is only necessary
to cast a glance at,the map o. South Amer
lea in order to see he vast Importance OF
this aggressive step Of Great Britain. When
q European maritime power has once OBJ
tanned a foothold at Barima it solely con-
trolls the Orinoco river and its numerous
,afhuents. 1t may penetrate as far as the
Rio dc la Plata. Venezuela is therefore
not the only American republic that is at
the mercy OF the naval power, but also
Columbia, Bolivar; Brazil, the Argentine
Republic and Uruguay are likewise at its
mercy. This is not a danger that threat
ems Venezuela alone. 1t threatens all
America. The possession Of the Panama
canal by a European. power would render
~nugatory the efforts or the United Stat $
government to enderthenstions of America
able to draw close their family bonds; to
unity their interests and to have one and
the same destiny in future. All these aspi-
rations might be rendered ~fruitless by tho
presence and control in the Oronoco of SO
formidable a naval power as Great Britain.
Her vessels would enter the mouth of the
river and will carry to the great countries
OF South America her prod ctions her
ideas and her exclusive interests"
Mr.. Peraza, in behalf of the Venezuelan
government. earnestly and almost pathet.
icaily begged the United States to inter-
vene to save the republic from final disrup-
ton and to secure the submission to arbi-
tration of the question in dispute with
Great Britain. The encroachments which
thus eliminated had been long pursued.
On Nov. %. 1887, the legislature of De-
mara, by direct instigation OF the queens
proctor. under instructions lrom the col
onial office. passed All act
ASSERTING BRITISH JuRIsD1cTIoN
over the gold mining district IF Caratal at
the head waters of the Yruari river; and on.
Dec. l the same year the governor of Brit
ish Guiana issued a decree denying the
validity of the grant made by the Venezue-
Ian government for a railroad to Guaripati,
a city on the Caratal district, on the ground
that it passed over certain territories and
lands forming a part of British Guiana.
This assumption was referred to at the time
by Secretary Bayard in a dispatch to our
minister in London as one which '.neces.
sarily gave rise to grave disquietude and
creates an apprehension that the territorial
claim does not follow historical traditions
or evidence, but is apparently Indefinite"
and Mr.. Bayard authorized Minister
Phelps to express to Lord Salisbury
apprehension lest the p~retensions Of
British Guiana to possess the terri
tory over which Venezuelan Jurisdiction
has never heretofore teen questioned,
might oblige the United States to aid in the
settlement OF a question which gave q feel
British authorities lost ITO time in, perfect
ing their usurpation. An armed force was
dispatched to the region and took pnsses-
sion without resistance, the Venezuelan
inha bitants barely numbering 100.
The restoration of the diplomatic rela.
tions between Venezuela and Great Britain
has recently been brought about through
the good offices OF Minister Lincoln during
the closing days OF the Salisbury govern
ment, but the British concession stopped.
As the minister TO Venezuela subsequently
reports that the point in dispute namely.
the command OF the great mouth Of the
Orinoco is precisely the one which Great
Britain now refuses to submit to friendly
arbitration. 1t may be that with q power
iul squadron OF the United States in the
harbor OF La Guyara under the command
OF an admiral especially instructed to aid
and assist to the full extent of his
power, Venezuela may be able to renew
the over .ures for arbitration to better pur-
poses. Honors will at least be easy so far "A
the display OF physical forces is concerned.
lmmedi ately alter the contamination Of the
seizure OF Barinla the British authorities
ordered three war steamers Of their Barba-
does squadron-the Bellerphon, the EN-
press and the P~artridge-to rendezvous in
Demar waters for the supposed purpose of
lntimidating Venezneia.and assisting in the
seizure: Admiral Walkers three cruisers.
the Chicago. Concord and Kearsarge will