Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-23
THAT COM MISSION
Reticence as to the Plans for
Naming the Members.
NO REPORT EXPECTED BY APRIL
Will Go Thoroughly Into Both
Sides of the Case.
GROWTH OF BRITAIN'S CLAIM

|
quent organization of that body. The i'm
| preston prevails, however, that the per-
sonnel of the commission will be made
known within the next few days. Chief
| Justice Fuller was caller at the State De-
| partment today, which gave rise to fresh
! comment as to the probability of his ap
| pointment, but this is purely speculative,
| as the officials will give nothing, either as
affirmation or denial of current reports, or
| as to the prospects of appointment. The
| feeling is growing, however, that the talk
| of a report by next April was premature,
| it is said that men of the standing required
| on this commission would not consent to
| rush through a case of this magnitude, COM
pleting a vast work in two months. The
| understanding is that the headquarters of
| the commission will be at Washington, and
| that the main sessions will be held there.
| The Rumor to Italy's Offer.
| No credence is given to the report that
| Italy has offered her services as arbitrator
| between the United States and Great
Britain. 1t is felt that Itay's membership
! of the triple alliance gives her too close a
| union with Great Britain, although the lat
ter is only indirectly connected with the
| countries forming the alliance. On the
other hand, officials recall that the leading
! Italian authority international law
|
gave the United States victory before the
| Geneva arbitration of the Alabama case.
| And, moreover, the Italian jurists are the
| most prominent advocates of arbitration
| of the day.
| VIII Go Thoroughly Into the Case.
| Contrary to the general impression, 1t is
| new asserted that the commission will so
very thoroughly into the British side of
| the question not confining itself to the ex
| parte case presented by Venezuela. 1t
| is said this can be accomplished without
| direct participation of Great Britain in the
| deliberations. There is no doubt of the re-
| frsal of the British to take formal recog-
| milton of the commission, Is it likely
| that any British view of the subject will be
| voluntarily presented as evidence. But
| matter of justice, and to save ne com
mission from the imputation of having
| looked a only one side of the case, it is be-
| Heved the United States will take the in
| itiative in securing from the British foreign
| office a statement of the British case. The
I last letter of Lord Salisbury gave a brief
| outline of the British case, but there is a
| mass of detail available. The public idea
| seems to be that Great Britain refuses to
| offer this evidence. 1t appears, however,
| that this government has never asked for
the British evidence. This is disclosed by
the published correspondence In the alb
| sence of L request the foreign office would
| not voluntarily submit in eXtenso the Brit
| ish case, although Lord Salisbury's sum-
| mary of it is taken a tender of readiness
| to support it with the fullest detail should
| the United States SO request. When, there
| fore, the commission is organized, a request
| through Ambassador Bayard for full in
| formation on the British claim would doubt
| less ne honored, not evidence to go to the
| commission, but information to the
| United States authorities.
| Venezuela's Side Ready.
| On the other hand, the Venezuela side of
the case is ready to be offered as
| the commission meets. While it covers
| mass of documents, maps etc, in the ar
| chives at Caracas, the essential points at
| issue bring the Venezuelan case within
comparatively small compass. 1t consists
| in substance in two parts, one showing
| NeneZueas rights and the other pointing
| out the weakness of the British claims.
| In the first division is the original map of
| the Schomburgk line, taken from the pro-
| ceednSs of the Royal Geographical So
| ciety, August, 1850. Lord Aberdeen's line
| is shown from his original note to the
! Venezuelan minister, DR.. \. Fortique, in
| 1871. Lord Granville's line is shown from
| the memorandum given by him to the
| Venezuelan minister to England.Dr. Hojas,
| in 1881. Lord Roseberry's line is shown by
| the original of his memorandum note to
| Gen. Guzman Blanco. in 1856. The altered
| Schomburgk line is shown by the proceed
| ings of the Royal Geographical Society,
| April, 1880 Lord Salisburys line is shown
| by map issued in 1880, taken from a COM
| munica ton from Sir T. H. Sanderson, be-
| lieved to have been acting under Lord Sal
| isbury's direction, and addressed to The
| Venezuelan agent in London.
Growth of the British Claim.
| In the second part of the Venezuelan
case will be a showing that Ensland's
! claim did not originate Antil 1914, when she
| acquired 10000 square miles of the Dutch;
| that Sir Robert Schomburgk increased this
| to GUuU0 square miles; that it grew to 49,,
900 square miles by 1850; and then jumped
to a claim of 100000 square miles in the
| year following.
! From the British standpoint this second
| half of the Venezuelan case is based on
| misapplcation of the Schomburgk line,
| which was drawn a convenience to fix
| the limits of the jurisdiction of the Su-
| preme court of British Guiana, and with
/ out any purpose of making boundary
| line for British Guiana.
Not offered to cx-Prcsident Harrison.
| The Indiana Congressman deny the state
! ment that ex-President Harrison has been
| offered the presidency of the Venezuelan
| commission through any of them. They did
| rot regard it as likely that he has been Of
| iered the position at all. The opinion among
| democrats of the House and Senate is that
| Mr. Harrison is not likely to be appointed
| on the commission. The names of Phelps
and EdmundS are still mentioned, and ii is
| unde .stood to have been decided beyond
! question that Chief Justice Fuller is to be
Y -.le chairman of the commission. There is
| some talk of selecting one member from the
| House and one from the Senate, but this
policy has not definitely been decided upon,
| it is stated. If this course is decided upon
| it is probable that a republican will ne
| selected from the House and a democrat
| from the Senate. There has been some sug-
| gestion that in case democrat were taken
| from the House the selection would lie be-
| tween Turner of Georgia and Catchngs of
| Mississippi.
Mexican Boundary Treaty.
| Secretary Oney and Senior Romero, the
Ne xcan minister, have exchanged ratifca-
tions of the treaty extending for one year