Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-12-11
PUSH M'KINLEY'S BOOM.
Ohio Sends a Representative Dele
cation to the Washington
Meeting.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 6.-While it
is true, as before stated in the Associated
press dispatches, that the administra-
ply to Secretary Olney's note of July
last, touching the Venezuela boundary
dispute, is adverse to the proposition to
arbitrate the title to the lands lying west
ward of the Schomburgk line, the fact
that the reply itself has not yet reached
Washington precludes the idea of any
speedy action by our government in this
matter.
When the reply is received by Sir Ju-
liam Paunceforte he may occupy himself
several days at least in it's careful con-
sideration in order that he may make
sure that he is transmitting to Secretary
Olney the views of his government so far
as it is possible for them to be commune
Gated to the United States government,
without at the same time imparting any
portion of the note that may be formed
for his private guidance.
Then the absence of the President
from Washington would operate further
to delay proceedings by the state depart
ment, for Secretary Olney would not
feel justified in making a forward move
ment at this stage of the case, which is
now commonly regarded as at least ap-
preaching a critical point, without advls-
ing fully with the President. AS the
latter has promised Congress to commu-
nicate in a special message the nature
of Lord Salisbury's reply, further delay
may be caused by the preparation OF this
message, SO on the whole it is improbable
hat the next step can be taken before
the latter part of the present month, II
so early.
From what is gathered as to the nature
here that it is really calculated to make
an issue which, if allowed to fall into
the course of treatment usual in diplo-
matte controversies, might drift along
for an indefinite period of time, since
while there is no abatement of the asser-
ton of Great Britain's right to the larger
portion of the territory east of the
Schomburgk line, arguments for the first
time are submitted to justify his asser-
ton. Heretofore all of the facts pre-
Sented to our government concerning the
rightful ownership of the disputed terri
tory nave come from Venezuelan sources.
The British government, it is true, has
been afforded frequent opportunities in
recent years to present its case, but new
er heretofore has gone so far as to adj
nit that there could be any doubt of its
title. and therefore has gone on the the
DRY that there was nothing to argue.
automatically considered, therefore
this last move of Lord Salisbury's may
be regarded as very clever, for he can
easily find precedents o justify his
request that the British case be cOnSid-
cred on its merits. As this is all new to
our government, a compliance with the
request would involve much patient re-
search and comparison of authorities,
maps and surveys. This is calculated to
consume a great deal of time and carry
the issue along to a period when perhaps
Great Britain, being freed from its pres
ent embarrassing situation growing out
of the Turkish complications, will be able
to devote her entire energies to a settle
ment of the Venezuelan question.