The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-19
WHAT 1T rs ALL ABOUT.

ezuela and England, all of them in con-
nection with the words war and arbitra-
ton are in every body's mouth, and all
who do not already know are wondering
what 1t is all about.
President Cleveland has just issued
message to congress in which he asks
permission to send commission to Ven
ezuela to investigate the encroachment
of England upon Venezuelan soil. If it
is found that England is encroaching,
and the citizens of the United States do
not change the present state of their
minds, as demonstrated by their endorse
ment of Mr.. Cleveland's words, she will
help Venezuela "hold her own" even,
perhaps, to the precipitation of a war
with Great Britain. But war is not
likely, some compromise will be effected.
The map shows that British Guiana, a
country less than one-ffth as large,
bounds Venezuela on the east.
1t is the dispute over the boundary
line between Venezuela and British
Guiana that is causing all the trouble.
If England succeeds in establishing the
boundary line at the Orinoco river, as
she is trying to Go, Venezuela will lose
just about half of the $4,000 square
miles she now holds. Kansas has $1,000
square miles.
The eastern part of the present British
Guiana originally belonged to the Dutch
and was part of what is now Dutch
Guiana, but after various wars, extend
ing over period of nearly 200 years,
in which the territory changed hands
aud shapes and sizes several times, the
country lying between the river Corentyn
on the east and the river Essequibo on
the west became England's by a treaty
in 1914.
Everything ran smoothly then till 1910
when rumors of oliver in the country
west reached the British, and they began
to claim all of the country ms far west as
the Orinoco.
While this controversy was going on
Sir Robert Schomburg, a very magnani-
nous English gentleman, drew an arbi-
trary line between British Guiana and
Venezuela, But even this line did not
extend far enough west to suit British
greed, and new boundaries, changed
from time to time, but always extending
and stealing more and more of Venezue
las territory, have been erected. England
refused to arbitrate the question of title
to territory east of the Schomburg line a
boundary put up without Venezuela's
consent, and which sine never recog-
nized.
England now becomes more clamorous
and V enezuela being too small to help
herself against a power like England,
the United States steps in. And here is
where the Monroe doctrine" begins to
take effect.
Among the events of public import
ance during the second term of Presi-
dent James Monroe, who was elected by
the party then known as the democrat
ic- Republican" were the recognition in
1922 of the independence of Mexico and
the provinces of South America formerly
under the dominion of Spain, and the
PRONUNCIATION in his message of Decem-
Der 2, 1928, of the policy of neither en-
tangIing ourselves in the broils OF
Europe, nor allowing the powers of the
old world to interfere with the affairs OF
the new. now generally known as the
Monroe doctrine"
On this occasion it was that he declar-
ed that any attempt on the part of Euro
pean powers to ''extend their system tc
any portion of this hemisphere" would be
regarded by the United States as dan
gerous to our peace and safety" and
would accordingly be opposed.
If Europe were allowed to take al
she might claim of the rest of America
it would be out a question of time til
the entire South American continent
Central America, and Mexico would be
overpowered and again in the hands o.
European powers. That is what the
Monroe doctrine is meant to oppose.
Venezuela's population is now some
thing over two million, and not more
than $4,000 of that is white. the rest
being native and mixed. Less than one
three hundredth of the land is in cultiva
ton. Coffee is the principal produce
and cattle raising is largely INDUCED in
All of our La Guayra coffee comes from
Venezuela.
Venezuela is willing and has asked
that the dispute be settled by arbitration
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