The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-03
Is Much Behind 1t,

washington, April 2.-There Is a
great deal more in the news from
F'aribault of the grant of a concession
by Venezuela at the mouth of the
Orinoco than is indicated in the dis
patch. 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 depart
ment and one which, as exclusively
stated heretofore in Associated Press
dispatches, has caused the admins
tration more real concern than the
Mexican dispute and other interna-
tional episodes. The concession is in
the heart of the territory long in dis
pute between Venezuela and Great
Britain. and Ambassador Bayard, for
some time, has vainly striven, in ac-
cordance 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 limitations that the
administration, in the event Of physi-
cal conflict over the disputed lands,
might deem it necessary in the en-
forcement of the Monroe doctrine, to
follow up the moral aid 1t has rendered
Venezuela, with more substantial as
sistance. The fact that citizens of the
United States, now by this concession,
are thrust, so to speak, between Great
Britain and the United States, consid-
erably increases the measure OF this
governments responsibility.
Senior Andreade, the Venezuelan
minister at Washington, says he has
no official confirmation of the grant,
but admits that he does not doubt dtS
correctness, as 1t is in line with re-
ports that such concessions would be
made. The land included IN the con-
cession is the vital point Of conflict
between Great Britain and Venezuela.
The latter is, the great commercial
center of South America, running far
inland through Venezuela, Brazil and
other countries. Whoever controls the
mouth of the river will control this
great commerce. Great Britain has
taken possession of Punta Barina, at
the mouth of which is to the Orinoco
what the island of Gibraltar is TO the
Mediterranean. She has also equipped
q, naval station on Trinidad island, just
off the mouth Her claims embrace both
banks of the stream at the mouth. 1t
is part of this important strategic ter
ritory that Venezuela now grants TO
the United States citizens. The con-
cession near Trinidad island is believed
to be the island of Patos. 1t is very
near to the British naval station and
particularly ricn in asphalt. The pres
emit concession is the most emphatic
declaration of ownership Venezuela
has made since 1884. In that year a
concession was made to Messrs. F1tz-
gerald and Turnbull citizens Of the
United States, of part of this Orinoco
territory. 1t was about TO be oper-
ated by United tSates commission as
the Manoa company when Great Bril-
tain entered such an emphatic protest
that Venezuela cancelled the protesta-
ton Since the conflict between Great
Britain and Venezuela has waged
through diplomatic channels, new Ven
ezuela reasserts her rights and turns
them over to the United States citi-
zens. -
The interesting question thus arises:
What steps will now be taken to as
sert her claims?" and will it en-
deavor to prevent the United States
syndicate operating its concessions"