The herald., 1895-10-19
ENGLAND and VENEZUELA
IntimatiOns of Very Grave Inter-
national Complications
ARMAMENT FOR DEFENSE
Force Will Be Used to Maintain the
Boundary Line
The Little Republic Aiming to Resist English
Aggression The Gold Fields the
Ground of Dispute
Associated Press Special Wire

I'VE are now enabled to give the tenor
of remarkable dispatches in which is out
lined the imperial policy toward the col
onies. The document is of much i'm
portance, inasm UGH as it was followed by
cabled instructions from Mr.. Chamberlain
to the governor of British Guiana, Sir
Charles Cameron Lees, X. q. M.G., to OBJ
tain without delay vote for the provis-
ion of two Maxim guns, one OF which is
to be stationed at Uran or elsewhere
along the frontier where the Venezuelans
may attempt to cross.
The mere fact that Cham berlaln
cabled instructions for the defense OF the
frontier in this manner is positive proof
that the imperia! government will not
tolerate the repetition of the Uran Incl
dent, and intends to hold the frontier
within the Schom burgh line by force if
necessary. Cham berlain advises espec-
tally the fostering of the gold mining ana
the cutting of a road from the upper
Barima river to Guyuin, pointing out its
importance from a military point of
view, as it would enable the government
to keep more closely in touch with the
frontier and thwart the repeated attempts
at Venezuelan aggression, adding that
in view of the gold mining it Will be
necessary to provide adequately for the
protection of the northwest district. He
recommends the increase in numb of
the military and police, as we'll as the
erection of barracks on the frontier. -
Sir Charles Cameron II. Lees, governor
of British Guiana, has been summoned to
London TO confer with Rt. Hon. Joseph
Cham Der lain, secretary of state for the
colonies, upon Venezuelan affairs.
NEW YORK, Oct. Is. That the Ven
ezuelan question is approaching an
acute stage. with possibilities of resist
ance by the South American government
to British aggression, was signifed ~
disclosures made in New York today on
the pest OF authority. The government
of Venezuela has provided itself with
modern armament ana among other sup
plies has ordered ten improved Maxim
guns from the British firm which man.
ufactures them. The order was not placed
through any firm and the British house.
it is supposed, does not know the destl-
nation OF the guns. At the same time
the syndicate of United States capitalists
which has secured concessions on the
Venezuelan gold land claimed by Great
Britain is preparing to send large force
of prospectors, miners and workmen into
the held. william n. Stafford, counsel
for the Orinoco company, the American
syndicate, made plain today the position
assumed by the Orinoco CONF any.
THE company" he said proposes TO
work its concessions without delay. it
will send prospectors along the line of
the Imataca mountains, whose foothills
INN sod frN ha Nah h
territory is, of course, in the company's
concession, and has always been marked
so on the maps. But now that there is a
prospect OF gold there Great Britain
claims it. Arrangem ents are being
made to send our men there to develop
intent to start controversy but to ert
the com pany's rights. Beside. the
mines there are other properties in the
concessions awaiting DEVELOPMENT.
Great Britain refers to the Schomberg
line, but .the fact is she has gone beyond
thai. This line is purely, Imaginary.
Sir Robert Schomberg visited Nenzuela in
1910 and starting at Point Baroma merely
drew line southwark on the map. The
Venezuelan government has conclusive
evidence that he made no survey.
''Iu 1850 Great Britain asserted she had
no intentlon 10 occupy or usurp the dis.
puted territory. So matters went until
1885. In that year rich gold fields now
yielding 1900, 600 year were discovered
west OF the Schom berg line between the
Guiana and Paraman rivers. They are
known as the B ARENA gold fields and
are fifty or, sixty miles west OF the
Schom berg line. Nevertheless Great
Britain promptly stepped in and claimed
that territory, and SO she has gone on
since, claiming land wherever gold has
been discovered. The Orinoco company
claims those gold fields as being in its
concession, and proposes to stand up for
its perfectly clear title to Them
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-At the Brit
ish embassy there was much interest
evinced in the action OF Minister Cham
berlain on the Venezuela boundary ques-
tion as announced by the St. James Ca
ze,te. The EN- bassy was without Official
advices, however and it was thought that
any steps on this and other South and
Central American questions wonld be
taken in London, executed at the point
affected and not communicated to the
British diplomatic representatives in the
United States. 1t has been evident to dip
lomats here for some time that the Brit
ish foreign Office views all these questions
as issues between Great Britain and the
parties imm ediately involved and does
not recognize the United States as a fac
tor in the questions.
III diplomatic circles the personality OF
Mr.. Chamberlain is beng discussed il:
| in Washington as mem Der of the fish
| cries commission all his utterances were
extremely cordial to the United States,
and he coined the expression ''blood is
thicker than water" as applying to the
| blood relations between Englishmen and
An eIicans. At that time he met Miss
| Endicott, daughter of the secretary OF
| war in MI. Cleveland's first cabinet. and
married her. Thus in word and action
he was regarded as IMPLYING the broad
| est British sentiment toward the United
| States. For this reason there is surprise
that he sh ould be the first to urge Maxim
| guns for the Venezuela boundary.
Those intimately acquainted with Mr.
Cham berlain say that his letter to Sir
| Charles Lees is indicative of the detur-
| mined attitude he will adopt in all quUs-
tons of colonial policy. Among leading
| diplomats it is considered as settled that
the British government will insist that
| any arbitration will not under any cir
| umstances embrace the tract on the
British Guiana side of the Schom b eru
| line.
The Uruan incident mentioned in the
cables has been pending for months.
| The chief of police Of British Guiana and
| several of his officers were arrested by
! Venezuelan soldiers while on theliisputed
| order tract The British officials we're
| few in number and could make No re-
sistance to being taken to a Venezuelan
town and belr 6 h II IS prisoners. They
| were quickly released, however, on the