The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08

Arbitration or War.
It is not surprising that in the news
papers and among congressman the
chances OF a war with Great Britain are
discussed. Few believe there is a prob
ability of war. stH. there is room for
speculation about the matter. The issue
between this country and Great Britain.
growing out OF the Venezuelan boundary
dispute. is now pretty clearly defined.
and, as it IS presented. it looks as If one
government or the other would have 10
modify its position.
Last July our government sent a note
10 that Of Great Britain in which the Brit
ish government was asked for a definite
answer as TO whether OF not it would sub
NIT the Venezuelan boundary dispute 10
impartial arbitration. The answer has
just been received. Its nature is not yet
known. and is not likely to be until the
President returns to Washington. unless
it is made public in London at an earlier
date. on Friday it was stated in our
London dispatches that il was understood
in England that the answer of the British
government was in effect that it does not
depart from the view that the Schom-
burgll boundary marks the minimum Of
British possessions in British Guiana.
The inference from this is that the Brit
ish government says it will not arbitrate
the question of the ownership of territory
within the Schomburgk boundary but
might arbitrate the question Of the own
ership OF territory it claims outside Of
that boundary.
1t is not known. of course, whether or
not this statement from London is cor
rect, but if ii is, and there are good rea-
sons for thinking that it states the posi-
ton of Great Britain correctly, the sit
uation becomes quite grave in view Of
what the President said in his message.
In discussing the boundary dispute he
said the United States would not be sat
isded If one of the powers concerned is
permitted to draw an arbitrary line
through the territory in debate and de-
clare that it will submit to arbitration
only the portion lying on one side of it,
While this declaration is not apparently
offensive. it is a quite positive announce
ment that the United States will not con-
sent that Great Britain shall have any Of
the territory in dispute unless it is deci-
ded by arbitration that she is entitled
to it,
Suppose Great Britain says that she
will arbitrate her claim to territory out
side of the Schomburgk line, but not to
territory inside that line? What course
will our government take? In view Of
what the President says in his message
what other course can it take than to
announce that it will join Venezuela in
forcibly resisting Great Britain's claim
to the territory in dispute?
Great Britain pretends to believe that
the Monroe doctrine has no application
to the boundary dispute in Venezuela.
The President thinks it has and popular
sentiment appears to support him in that
view. The understanding is that Great
Britain is attempting to extend her gov
eminent over a part of the territory of
Venezuela, and an attempt Of that sort
is construed by our government to be
contrary to the Monroe doctrine
From the foregoing statement it can be
readily seen why there is so much anxiety
to know authoritatively the nature Of the
answer of the British government to the
request of our government that the boun-
dairy dispute be submitted to arbitration
It would be regretable if the two govern
ments should fail to reach satisfactory
understanding. From the tone of the
press and from the expressions of public
men it is clear that the position the Pres
ident took in the matter in his message
is a popular one, and that there is not
much probability that our government
will recede from it. In that event we are
likely to have a good deal of war talk
in the immediate future, and we may
reach a point perilously near war;