New-York tribune., 1895-10-26
HE CALLED FOR MAXIM GUNS.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S LETTER TO THE
GOVERNOR OF BRITISH GUIANA.
THE WEAPONS WERE TO BE PLACED OK THE
VENEZUELAN FRONTIER-THE PROGRAMME
RIDICULED IN DEMERARA-ENGLAND'
DEMAND AND vENEZTEI.As EN-


DEMAND AND vENEzUELAs EN-
PHATIC NEGATIVE.
Washington oct. 25-"The Georgetown (Deme-
rara) Daily Chronicle OF September o. containing
the full text OF Joseph Chamber:ains letter to the
Governor OF British Guiana. received here to-
day. The salient points of the letter appeared In
London dispatches a week ago. These were.
briefly. that Mr.. Chamberlain recommended the
placing OF a Maxim gun at the point on the furuan
River where the colonial inspector and his assist
ants were arrested by the Venezuelan forces, and
similar gun at another point on the frontier. Mr.
Chamberlan's letter also suggested the advisabity
OF cutting a wagon road from Port Barima.
distance OF 80 miles southwest through the rich
gold fields in the disputed territory, and requested
that the merchants of Georgetown should furnish
the money to build It. Approaching the weakness
OF the police force of Georgetown. Mr. Chamberlain
recommended that the corps Of hremen in the city
be abolished and the members added to that OF the
local police.
Mr. Chamberlaln's recommendations II THE Daily
Chronicle fairly reflects public opinion In Deme-
rara do not meet the wishes OF the colonsts. The
Chronicle" editorIay ridicules the British Secre-
tary for the Colonies 1t says that the only effect
Of the planting OF Maxim gun on the Yuruan
would be It's capture by the infuriatsd Venezueans
thus aordng instructive object lesson OF British
incapacty TO protect their own interests The
British constabulary at that place are 80 few In
numbers that they could be easily overcome py the
Venezuelans the opposite bank OF the river. The
Chronicle shows that 1t would take seven weeks at
least TO transport the gun from Georgetown and
that the citizens Of that place too poor seriously
consider the proposition TO build the road TO the
gold fields at their expense. SO far az abolish
ing the corps OF fremen is concerned, that sugges-
tion. the paper adds would not be tolerated for
moment.
Mr.. Chamberlans letter to the Governor OF
British Guiana written about September ]. a
fortnight after the receipt o Secretary Oneys
memorandum to Lord Salisbury In which he Ella
borated the Interpretation put by this Government
the Monroe Doctrine. The shCrtness or the time
which elapsed between the issue OF Mr.. Olneys note
and the forwarding OF Mr.. Chamberain's letter 70
the Governor Is regarded by diplomats as an odd
coincidence at least
Although the arrest OF the colonial policemen oc-
Cured a year ago. notice was taken Of the mat
ter by the British authorities eXccit sharp note
transmitted through the German Charge d Anaires
at Caracas. demanding explanation and request
ing from Venezue.a n promise that her soldiers
should not to the right bank OF the Iuruan
To these requests the Venezuelan Foreign Minister
replied with emphatic negative. promise TO
remain on one side OF the stream. he said, would be
a tact admission that the remainder OF the terri
tory was a British possession. an admission which
Venezuela could not be persuaded to make. The
revival OF the incident at this late day Is con-
strued by diplomats to mean that the boundary dis
pute is the inspiration OF Eng.ands so-caed ult-
natum and that for this reason her request for an
apology and indemnity will meet with an emphatic