The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-03
vENEzUELA'S CUNNING.
Right to the Territory Is Now
Disputed by Great
Britain.
DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS ARISE.
There Is a Prospect of Great
" Struggle for This Vast Rich
= Country.

.FARIBAULT, MINI, April 2.-Donald
Grant,. wealthy contractor of this city,
w. H. Fisher, late manager of the Duluth
and Winnipeg Railroad, and ]. A. Bow
man of Grand Rapids, Mich, banker, have
just returned from Venezuela, where they
obtained concession of land at the mouth
of the Orinoco, running 125 miles south,
and from fifteen to fifty miles east and
west 1t is rich in minerals, mahogany,
rosewood and dye woods. They also have
the right to mine asphalt on small island
near Trinidad. The syndicate will invest
good deal of capital in working the con-
cessions, and Mr.. Fisher is to be the
manager.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 2.-There
is good deal more in the news from Fari-
bault of the grant of concession by Vene-
zueia at the mouth of the Orinoco than is
indicated in the dispatch. This concession
may become more or less famous in the
history of the diplomacy of the United
States and Great Britain. The concession
is well calculated to bring to an acute
stage the most troublesome diplomatic
questions before the State. Department,
and one which, as exclusively stated here
tofore in Associated Press dispatches, has
caused the administration more real con-
Germ than the Alliance affair, the late
Guatemalan- Mexican dispute, and other
international episodes.
The concession is in the heart of the
territory long in dispute between Vene-
zuela and Great Britain, and ambassador
Bayard for some time has vainly s.riven, in
accordance with a resolution recently
adopted by Congress, to persuade Great
Britain to submit the whole dispute to
arbitration, Great Britain. being willing
only to arbitrate beyond what is known as
the Schomberg line. There have been in
timations that the administration, in the
event of physical conflict over the disputed
lands, might deem it necessary, in the
enforcement of the Monroe doctrine, to
follow up the moral aid it has rendered to
Venezuela with more substantial assist
ance. The fact that citizens of the United
States by this concession are thrust, so to
speak, between Great Britain and the
United States, considerably increases the
measure of this Governments response
bility.
Sener.Andreade, the Venezuelan Minis
ter at Washington, says he has no official
confirmation OF the grant, but admits he
does not doubt its correctness, as it is in
line with reports that such concession is
the vital point of conflict between Great
Britain and Venezuela. The Orinoco is the
great commercial river of South Amer
lea, running far inland through Venezuela,
Brazil and other countries. Whoever con-
trolls the mouth of the river will control
this great commerce. Great Britain has
taken possession of Punta Barina, the
mouth of which is to the Orinoco what
the island of Gibraltar is to the Mediterra-
mean. She has also equipped naval sta
tion on Trinidad Island, just off the mouth.
Her claims embrace both banks of the
stream at the mouth. It is part OF this
important strategic territory that Vene-
zuela now grants to United States citi-
zens..
The concession near Trinidad Island is
believed to be the island of Patos. 1t is
very near to the British naval station and
particularly rich in asphalt. The present
concession is the most emphatic declara-
ton of ownership Venezuela has made
since 1884. In that year concession was
made to Messrs. Fitzgerald and Turnbull,
citizens of the United States, of part of this
Orinoco territory. 1t was about to be
operated by a United States commission as
the Manoa Company, when Great Britain
entered such an emphatic protest that
Venezuela cancelled the concession. Since
the conflict between Great Britain and
Venezuela has waged through diplomatic
channels. Now Venezuela reasserts her
rights and turns them over to United
States citizens.
The interesting question thus arises:
what steps will now be taken byEngland
to assert her claims?' and 'Will it en-
deavor to prevent the United States syndi-
cate from operating it's concessions2"