Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-19
No Hasty Senate Action in the
Venezuelan Matter.
MESSRS. HARRIS And BURROWS TALK
The House Bill May Receive In
portant Amendments.
THE MONROE DOCTRIN z

to probable action anu JuulciouS dctol
in regard to the Venezuelan matter, es-
pecially the Presidents proposition. Sena-
tor Harris, who was asked about the mat
ter this afternoon, said that while he mad
no idea of the program the democrats had,
it seemed to him extremely doubtful
whether so important 4 matter would be
acted rpon with The haste which had char
acteriZed the developments in the House.
1T has been suggested, Senator, that the
Senate will probably prefer to be con-
suited by the President in the selection OF
men for such an important duty as the
proposed commission would have to under
take"
Il should think that suggestion very
wise one," said the Senator, automatically.
I'VE are required TO consider and act upon
appointments which are Of trif1ing i'm
portance compared with these, and l should
suppose that it would only be wise and
proper that the selection of commission
whose work might be so important in its
results ought 20 be made with great care
and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. 1t is so usual to submit important
appointments to the Senate for ratification
that 1t seems only reasonable that one
which might result in the determining of
our future relations with Great Britain
should be selected with quite as great care
as postmaster or collector of customs
1T is also suggested, Senator, that Presi-
dent Cleveland's view of the Monroe doc
trire, as indicated in his statement that if
Great Britain and Venezuela agree upon
boundary line, the United States has moth
ing to say about it, is rot quite in accord
with that of many people,
quite likely responded the Senator
There as been a feeling that the Monroe
doctrine was something more than that;
that it contemplated such acticn by the
United States as would prevent European
monarchieS from obtaining additional ter
rtcry or extending their jurisdiction in
America. Oe course, that is a matter to be
considered, but it would seem logical that
If we are to have nothing to say in case
Venezuela choose: to cede portion of her
territory to Great Britain we would also be
equally powerless to protest against the
CeSsiOn of her entire territory or the ter
rtory of any or all of the South American
republics. At least that would seem to be
the logical sequence of such proposition
should You suppose. Senator, that the
House bill 1t passed today is likely to
pass the SenG te in its present form without
requiring the appointments to be submitted
to the Senate or without any other changes
of any sort?'
There has been no democratic consulta-
ton on the subject, and l could not express
more than an Individual opinion. which
would be that l doubt that the action of the
Senate would he as speedy as that of the
House. 1 should think it doubtful If the
bill would get action until after the holiday
recess"
Work of the Commission.
There is a wide difference of opinion as
to the length of time which would be re-
quired for the proposed commission to
thoroughly investigate the matter and re-
port upon it. Some express the opinion
that the commission do its work without
going out of Washington, while others be-
lieve that it would not only be required 10
go to Venezuela, but perhaps much farther
and with much greater and more elaborate
research. Senator Burrows expressed the
opinion that the commission could proba-
bly, accomplish its entire duty without
leaving Washington city. The documents
in the State Department, he thought, would
be sufficient to enable it to reach con-
clusion. On the other hand. Representative
Marsh of Illinois expressed the opinion
that the work of a commission of this kind
must be very thorough and far reaching.
Before We are to determine whether We
shall go to war with Great Britain over
matter of this kind" said Mr.. Marsh, "the
whole matter ought to be most thoroughly
and carefully Investigated. Immense inter
eStS are at stake. both as to life and
enormous expenditures. If We are TO as
sumo to dictate what shall be done about
this boundary line, We must be sure that
we are right before debating. In order to
be sure must take not merely the rec
ords and statements which we can obtain
here, or even be satisfied with those which
we might obtain in Venezuela. 1t seems TO
me that we should have to go back to the
records of the Spanish government on the
one hand and the Dutch government on
the other for it was while Venezuela was
subject to the Spanish government and
part of the Guiana to the Dutch govern
ment that the original boundary lines were
established. 1t seems to me that a COM
mission in order to reach a just and proper
conclusion would have to go far beyond
what little information it could get here,
and probably beyond what it could obtain
in Venezuela"
Would it not be a delicate matter for a
commission appointed by the United States
to go to the Dutch and Spanish governments
and demand this information, Mr.. Marsh?'
II do not anticipate that they would meet
with any difficulty in obtaining whatever
information those governments might have
They would, presume, he quite willing
to supply this information for the sake of
humanity, and proper adjustment of these
important questions. But if We are to
sumo a right to dictate in these matters it
is our business to go on and get this infor
maton, N axe up a careful judgment upon
the matter and, having made it, stand by
it to the end
Not Correct interpretation.
Does President Cleveand's statement
that the United States should have nothing
to say in case Great Britain and Venez-
uela detcrraine the boundary line between
themselves strike you as a correct inter-
probation of the Monroe doctrine, Mr..
Marsh?"
"It does not The Monroe doctrine, in
my opinion, gees much farther than that
If Mr.. Cleveland's statement is accurate
we could have nothing to say if half of the
South American republics decided to Cell
their territory to any foreign mission"
There is already some gossip as to the
probable personnel of the commission, though
nothing is yet known to the Presidents
views regarding the number of men to be
named, nor is it at all certain that the selec-
ton of these men will be left to the Presi-
dent Indeed, the chances seem to be that
the Senate when it acts upon the bill will
amend it so as to require that the selection
of commissioners be submitted to the Sen
ate for confirmation. Meantime the names
of ex-senator Edmunds and ex-Minister
Phelps are both being suggested.
The Indications are that the matter is
liable to go over until after the holidays
without action by the Senate, and that the
foreign affairs committee of that body will
meantime give the Venezuelan question as
thorough an ovcrhauling as practicable,
holding sessions during the holiday week
and putting itself in condition to discuss
the matter intelligently in the Senate should
: tl,a trpp