Evening star., 1895-10-19

should extend her boundary line still fur
ther into Venezuelan territory.
A FORMER DEMAND REPEATED.
Official Statement by; the Venezuelan
Foreign OnRce.
The answer CT Venezuela to the British
ultimatum appears TO be clearly foreshad-
owed in an official statement from the Ven-
ezuelan minister of foreign relations. This
has been received in Washington. It states
with positiveness the attitude and policy
OF Venezuela upon the exact subjects COW
cred in the ultimatum and in Minister
Chamberlain's letter to the governor of
British Guiana.
These official statements disclose that the
present ultimatum is a repetition of a de-
mand made by Great Britain in November
last. As Great Britain had no minister in
Venezuela, relations being broken off, the
German minister consented to act III repre-
senting the British demand. Venczuela
promptly rejected the demand, and re-
fused to give the assurances Great Britain
asked. The refusal was accompanied by A
restatement of all that Venezuela claimed
The Venezuelan Side.
The circumstances of the demand and
refusal are given as follows in the official
statement of the Venezuelan foreign office
rec ,ived here:
In September, last year, the government
knew that the high authorities of Deme-
rara. British Guiana, were getting ready
to make protests and raise questions be-
cause some Venezuelan soldiers had crossed
the river Cuyuni near the place where the
so-called English station is, and had felled
timber on the right bank of the river. In
formation has been received here that this
movement began by some threats of the
colonial n a oft
izen, who had resided at that point for a
long time. 1t was also known that the
band of Venezuelan soldiers had crossed
the river only for the purpose of celebrat-
ing the national festivity of July in the
house of some friends of theirs residing in
that territory. The British colonial agents.
who have exercised their authority since
the day in which the government Of Dem
part of the Venezuelan territory, were al
lowed to continue in their place without
being molested by the forces of Venezuela
Last NOvembcr's Demand.
Such was the state Of affairs when. in
the early part of last November, the Ger
man legation, who is In charge of the pro-
lection of British interests in Venezuela.
received a telegram from Berlin in which,
in the name of the British cabinet, mention
was made of a supposed violation of the
colonial frontier, ard assurances were ur-
gently demanded that in the future no Ven
ezuelan soldiers should be allowed to cross
the stream on that side, and go to the right
bank of the Cuyuni river.
A declaration of this kind by Venezuela
would have been equivalent to an implied
recognition of the alleged rights of Great
Britain to the possession of that territory,
and would have also implied the with
Venezuela ever since issF. against any in
fringement or abridgment of her territory
Under these circumstances, no hesitation
was possible, and the answer given by the
department of foreign relations, far from
giving the assurances demanded by the
British cabinet served only to make repe-
tition of all that the republic OF Venezuela
had said against the claims OF Great bri-
tain, although stating, at the same time,
the desire of the government to avoid new
difficulties through Just and fair settie-
ment of the question.
The statement from the venezuelan Ior-
eign office covers also the policy Of Venez-
ueia in case the British attempt to build
the military road recbmmended by the
British minister, Chamberlain, in his letter
to Governor Lees of British Guiana.
The Venezuelan statement closes Win
the sisnificant sentence that on the ques-
tion Of building this road the course or
Venezuela has been such that the "1nvad-
ing neighbors" cannot make another step
further on the Venezuelan side OF the line
..without at once provoking a collision.
The Interested Diplomats.
At the BRUSH leSattOH IL 10 seoeSo WIN
positiveness that no advices have been re-
ceived concerning Venezuela, and that Sir
Julian Pauncefote has, taken no action
whatever on the subject. This is emphasize
ed by embassy officers
Sir Julian called at the State Department
Yesterday, but the Venezuelan subject was
not referred to, as the London authorities.
it is declared, are not conducting any
branch of the negotiation through the en-
bassy here.
The Venezuelan legation received it's first
news of the ultimatum from the Associated
Press cables. The fact that Minister An
drade has not been advised from Venezuela
indicates that the ultimatum Is still en-
route and has not reached Caracas. Presi-
dent Crispo is at present at summer re-
sort. and the vice president Is acting presi-
dent.
The Venezuelan congress will not convene
until next February. 1t happens. also, that
cabinet complication occurred ten days
ago. Four of the cabinet, including DR..
Puldo, minister of foreign affairs, resigned
and President Crespo has not yet named
their successors.
The Uruan Incident.
The Uruan incident mentioned In the
cables has l'een pending for months. The