The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-12-21
The Venezuela Question--war Talk.

The President on Tuesday sent to Congress
! the correspondence between this Government
and Great Britain on the question of the boun-
dary line between British Guiana and Nene-
zuela, and accompanied it by message,
which appears in another column, reatfirmlng
the Monroe doctrine and recommending the
! creation of a commission TO determine the true
| boundary.
! The Monroe doctrine, in substance, was
simply declaration by President Monroe that
this government would not tolerate the torcl-
Bile acquisition of territory in the Western
Hemisphere by any European power, and that
we would not interfere with European affairs.
The position of this Government as defined
by President Madison in 1928, has been stead
fastly adhered to ever since. Great Britain
contends that the Monroe doctrine does not
cover the question of boundary; that Great
Britain is not seeking to acquire new territory,
but is simply claiming what ngs to her.
This Government holds that an extension OF
boundary lines beyond original possessions
against the protest of any independent gov
The Senate has taken up the Presidents
recommendation of the creation of Com
mission. and the Committee on Foreign AT
fairs have permission to sit during the recess
of Congress. from December 20 until January
3. The House by unanimous vote on tuesday
passed bill authorizing the President to APP
eoint commission to determine the boundary
in dispute and appropriating 500, 900 to detray
its expenses.
Senator Hill offered, on Tuesday, bill to
repeal the law imposing disabilities on those
who served in the late war on the Confederate
side and said that it was intended to wipe out
that feature of the statute which prohibited
ex-ConfederateS serving in the army or navy
of the United States.
Senator Chandler introduced a bill author
izing the President to strengthen the military
armament by procuring one million infantry
rifles. one thousand guns for field artillery and
five thousand heavy guns for Notifications,
and appropriating 500, 900, 900 therefor.
The First Missouri Infantry. 1000 strong,
have offered their services to the President,
some belligerent in Louisville, Kentucky, has
recruited an artillery company, and the IRISH
of New York have rendered the President one
hundred thousand Irish volunteers in the
event of war.
The cause of all this war talk is Il refusal by
Great Britain to submit to international arbi
tration the boundary line between British
Guiana and Venezula. Great Britain claims
and has extended her authority over section
ofcountry claimed by Venezuela. Mr.. Cleve-
land 5 policy. which Congress seems deter
mined to sustain. is for this Government to
create a commission to determine the boun-
diary and to keep British authority with in the
lines as thus ascertained.
The situation is IA serious one. England
has declined to submit to international arb-
tration. and if the Presidents policy Is main
tanned. England will have to submit TO the
conclusion of the American COMMISSION or
fight Great Britain is a powerful nation,
and particularly strong naval power. 10
maintain her prestige she can not submit to
American dictation.
While the President if authorized, may
appoint commissioners from other countries
than this. still it will be of American creation,
and as Great Britain has declined to arbitrate
it will be difficult to get appointees from Eu-
ropean powers to serve, and if Great Britain
declines to submit its side of the question to
the commission. the conclusions Of the com
mission must necessarily be one-sided. For
this reason it looks like this Government has
taken position not altogether impregnable
The war spirit is quite strong now, but 1t Is
hoped that before Congress meets again that
conservative Judgment will prevail and that
war may be averted.