The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-18


/ Great Britain on the Venezuela boundary
/ question is about made up. The message
! which the President sent TO congress yes
terday shows beyond a doubt the pur-
/ pose of the administration TO maintain
/ the position he took in his message at
/ the opening of congress. No one supposed
the President would show any weakness
I when the time came for plain talk. That
/ part of his annual message which dealt
with the Venezuela boundary dispute ap-
peared TO give general satisfaction, not
only in congress. but throughout the coun-
try, and his message yesterday will not
prove TO be less satisfactory.
The people of this country are not anx-
ious for war with Great Britain. They
want peace with all the world. and they
would willingly do all that could be done
with honor to maintain it, but they pre-
fer war, knowing fun well what it means,
rather than have peace on terms that
would not be credtable to the nation.
The United States have insisted upon
the Monroe doctrine for more than seven
ty years, and it is not at all likely that
having upheld it when they We're weak
they win abandon it when they are strong.
In substance, that doctrine is that for
eign governments shall not forcibly ex-
tend their system Of government on this
continent.
The boundary dispute between Great
Britain and Venezuela is quite an old one,
British Guiana is a British possession. and
is adjacent to Venezuela. The Venezuela
government complains that Great Britain
has been steadily extending the boundary
of Guiana, and is now claiming a large
part of the territory of Venezuela Great
Britain is strong and Venezuela is weak.
and Venezuela looks to the United States
for assistance.
The United States hold that the Monroe
doctrine applies in this case. Their con-
tention is that Great Britain is extending
her system of government and acquiring
territory on this continent by force.
Last July the United States addressed
note to the British government calling
attention to Venezuela's complaint; also
to the Monroe doctrine, and asked for a
would submit the boundary dispute to
friendly arbitration.
The answer of the British government
was submitted to congress yesterday by
the President. along with the message
which he sent to that body. In her an
swer. Great Britain takes the ground that
the Monroe doctrine is not recognized in
the law of nations, that it does not APP
ply to the question in dispute, and she
declares she will not submit the question
to arbitration.
The issue between the United States
and Great Britain is clearly defined
Either the United States or Great Britain
will have to back down. or there will be
trouble between them.
There is one loop-hole by which trouble
may be averted without retreat by either
nation. 1t is in the Presidents recommen-
dation He advises that a commission be
authorized to find out whether Great Bril-
tain has taken possession of Venezuelan
territory without Venezuela's consent. II
that advice is accepted and a commission
should report that Venezuela territory
has been taken by Great Britain without
Venezuela's consent the United States
couldn't do otherwise than support Vene-
zuela in her effort to recover what belongs
to her. on the other hand, if it should
appear that Great Britain has taken only
what she is entitled to there would be
no further unpleasantness between the
two countries on the boundary matter
1t is TO be hoped that the question will
be amicably adjusted. Still, we must not
shut our eyes to the fact that the situa-
ton is a serious one, and that war be-
tween the United States and Great Bri-
tain is not improbable.