Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-12-26
THE VENEZUELAN QUESTION
GOLD DISCOVERIES INSPIRE THE
GREED OF JOHN BULL.
Ruthless Aggressions Made by the
British Government-Status of
the Dispute.

Ian border dispute had its origin in the
treaty of 1914, by which Holland grant
, ed to Great Britain the territory now
, known as British Guiana. That
treaty ceded the territory without de-
filming its boundaries, and the dispute
as to its illumination was handled
with languid indifference by Great
Britain until the discovery OF gold put
quite a different complexion on the
whole affair. What had hitherto been
regarded as not worth quarreling about
was found TO include some of the rich
est gold fields in the colony.
The first formal British claim was
made in 1871, when Sir Robert Schom-
burg, a commissioner sent out from
England for the purpose, made surveys
west of the Essequibo river and plant
ed posts and marks which defined what
has since become historical as the
Schomburg line. This survey was
made without the assent or participa-
ton of the Venezuelan government,
and the line laid down gave Great
Britain control Of the mouth of the
Orinoco, with all the Atlantic coast
line between that river and Essequibo.
Although this line is now referred to
by the British government as marking
the limits between what is without
question British territory and what
may be considered territory in dispute,
it was not so regarded by the British
government at that time, for, upon a
protest from Venezuela, Lord Aber-
deem, then prime minister of England,
distinctly disavowed any intention of
occupying the territory within it, and
directed the colonial authorities to OBJ
literate the line and destroy the posts
and marks by which it had been de-
fined
Lord Aberdeen subsequently pro-
posed a conventional boundary line
beginning near the mouth of the ORR
noco, but carrying the British conten-
ton further to the westward in the in
terror than had been proposed by the
Schomburg line. This line, though
disadvantageous to Venezuela, might
have been accepted but for the fact
that Lord Aberdeen accompanied it by
what Venezuela considered a humiliat-
ing condition. He proposed to "cede"
to Venezuela the territory beyond this
line and oblige her not to ALLEVIATE any
Iart of it to a third power.
The matter then remained unsettled
until 1879, when DR.. Rojos, Venezuelan
minister to London, opened negotia-
lions with Lord Salisbury, who then
set up a claim that far exceeded any
heretofore made by Great Britain. He
claimed not only the territory to the
east of the Schomburg line, but vast
tract beyond it. Lord Granville sue
ceeded Lord Salisbury while the mat
ter was under consideration, and he
proposed a line which, while it did not
lay any claim to the mouth of the
Orinoco, was more favorable to Great
Britain in the interior than any line
which had previously been suggested.
DR.. ROjos could not consider this and
proposed the settlement of the ques-
ton by arbitration. Great Britain did
not agree to this, and nothing more
was done until in 1884.
In that year Guzman Blanco, who
had become Venezuelan minister at
London, continued negotiations for a
treaty OF arbitration, which came more
nearly resulting in a settlement of the
controversy than any of the negotia-
lions before or since that time A
draft of treaty was practically agreed
upon which would have referred the
boundary question to arbitration and
settled all the pending questions be-
tween the two governments. By a
change in the ministry, however, the
marquis of Salisbury became premier,
and he declined to carry out the agree
ments which had been made by Earl
Granville.
Three years later, when Lord Rose
berry was minister of foreign affairs in
the Gladstone cabinet, the matter was
again taken up, and Lord Rosebery
proposed a conventional line more fav-
CRADLE to Venezuela than any PROPOSE
ton that had come from the British
side. He accompanied it, however,
with the condition that the Orinoco
should be declared open and free to the
navigation of British vessels. This
as rejected by Venezuela and arbitra-
ton was again proposed, but was not
/ agreed to by Great Britain.
! In the meantime the British authOri-
ties took formal possession Of the ter
ritory within the old Scnoemburg line,
and, in 1886, established Notifications
at Barima point and posted notices at
the mouth of the Amarcura river an
nouncing that the territory was within
British Jurisdiction. Venezuela de-
manded the immediate evacuation Of
these points and the restoration of the
status quo of 1850, preparatory to sub
hitting the entire boundary dispute to
arbitration. These demands were not
complied with, and in February, 1887,
Venezuela formally declared all diplo-
matte relations with England sus-
pended.
AS the controversy stands today
Venezuela is ready and anxious to en-
! ter into treaty with Great Britain
whereby the entire boundary cOntro-
versy will be submitted to settlement
I by court Of arbitration, without any
/ reservation whatever, while, on the
other hand, Great Britain has declined
to consider any proposition for arbitra-
ton which does not admit that all the
territory east Of the Schomburg line
is British territory. Venezuela will
10 I, -, l,yo, 10 In T1,rif