Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-31

The Venezuelan question.
Armenian massacres.
The Cuban revolt.
The Alliance affair.
The Blueields Incident
Tho Waller case
Manitoba school question.
kiel canal oper ing.
Massacre of missionaries in China.
Atlanta exposition.
The Venezuelan Question.
No subject has attained the widesprea l
| interest in this country during the year
equal to the Venezuelan dispute. Although
the controversy as to the true boundary line
between Venezuela and British Guiana is
over fifty years old, the subject was brought
into immediate prominence this year by the
| passage of the following joint resolution by
Congress in February:
Resolved, That the Presidents sugges-
ton made in his last annual message to this
body. namely, that Great Britain and Ven
ezuela refer their dispute as to boundaries to
friendly arbitration, be earnestly recon-
mended to the favorable consideration of
both the parties in interest"
The territory in dispute includes the val
ley of the Yuruan river, in which rich gold
mines have been discovered. Its possession
would go far to put Great Britain in control
of tho navigabie outlet of the Orinoco, the
key to the commerce of one-quarter of the
South American continent. Prior to 1910
the territory on the northeast coast of South
America, lying between the mouths of the
Orinoco ard the Amazon Was known as the
GuayanaS. In that year Venezuela, as sue
| oessor to the title of Spain, became the pos
SCISSOR of a large portion Of the territory
Another portion was ceded to Great Britain
by Holland in 1914. No treaty had ever def
nitely fixed the boundary between the SPAN
iSh and Dutch possessions and a boundary
dispute soon arose, which is yet unsettled
In 1887 diplomatic relations were in conse-
Quence broken off between England and
Venezuela. Venezuela claims the territory
west of the Essequibo river. Great Britain's
claim has been a progressive one. In 1910
it rested on the Pomaron river; but in 1898
the claim had been extended to the Orinoco
delta. The United States has in late years
viewed with apprehension the growing
claims of the British, and has frequently
tried to effect a settlement. 1t has been held
by this government that Great Britain's en-
croachment on territory claimed by Ven
ezuela is a menace to the republican insti-
tutions of the United States, and is in con-
travention of the Monroe doctrine. This
dcctrir was promulgated in a message to
Congress by President Monroe December 2.
1923. At that time the Holy Alliance, formed
in 1915 by Austria, Russia and Prussia was
threatening to aid Spain in recovering her
revolted possessions in America. Mr.. Cam
ring. the British secretary for foreign af-
fairs, suggested to Mr.. Rush, then United
States minister to England, that the United
States should take decided ground against
the intervention of the Holy Alliance in
South America. The suggestion was ap-
proved by President Monroe. The result
was the following passage in the Presidents
message:
That We should consider any attempt on
their part (of the allied powersl to extend
their system to any portion of this hemis-
ty." 1t was further declared that any such
attempt would be regarded as an unfriendy
act by the United States
Great Britain was Informed by Ambassa-
nf h,,t
Great Britain declined to arbitrate on the
question of ownership of territory east Of
the SchomburSk lire holding that such ter
ritory was established portion of the
British domain. Secretary of STATE Olnev
last July. in a long letter to Ambassador
Bayard. outlined the position of the Unite.
States regarding the attitude of Great Brit
ain in refusing to arbitrate, in substance
holding that it was a violation of the Mon
roe doctrine. November 26 Lord Salisbury
the British prime minister, returned Great
versy was not one in which the United States
lad any practical concern. Her majesty
government fully concur. he said, in Presi-
dent Monroe's view, but he declared that the
Monroe doctrine was not now in dispute
On receipt of this reply President Cleveland
sent special message to Congress, giving
the correspondence in the case and recon-
mendlng that special commission be au-
thoriZed to determine the true Venezuelan
boundary, and that when determined this
country insist upon Great Britain not pass
ing 1t. The message was generally greeted
with enthusiasm as patriotic interpreta-
ton of the Monroe doctrine, and Congress
at once agreed to his recommendations
Armenian Mnssacres.
It was not until the early part of the
present year that undoubted evidence was
secured of the massacre of Armenians by
Turkish troops in the summer and fall of
1894. The many charges brought against
fhn np ha
the Turkish officials and even by others
ascribed to the imagination of the rebel
lfous Armenian consDirators. To quiet the
reports Turkey appointed a commission of
inquiry near the end of 1894. This pro-
ceeded to Moosh, and began taking the tes-
timony of witnesses with the evident aim
to whitewash the whole affair. Testimony
in the Armenian language was refused and
no one understanding Armenian was al
lowed to visit the villages that We're the
scene of devastation. 1t became clear that
the inquiry had become a farce. 1t was
at this juncture that two London news
paper men succeeded in making their way to
the stricken districts. Their reports cor
roborated in every way the awful tales of
murder and rapine that had previously
been published. Accounts were secured
from survivors of the outrages tina:
thrilled all Christendom with horror
The whole trouble arose from the ex-
actions enforced by the Kurds on Ar
menian peasants and villagers. Owing to
to pay their taxes to the Turkish govern
ment.
The government called in the Turks and
turned them loose on the '.rebelious Ar
menians.' In the attack that followed the
Armenians bravely sustained themselves at
Dalvorig, where sixty men held out against
1900 kurds, in June, 1893. The government
in the following spring concen trated 10000
troops in the province of Bitlis and ter
| rible war of determination followed. Neither
age nor sex was spared. Burning alive
hacking to pieces, ripping women open-these
are the methods that were adopted to spread
terror In one case hundreds were driven
together and volley after volley was poured
into the mass. The dead and dying were
saturated with oil and fire was applied
Probably ten thousand were thus massacred
over thirty villages We're destroyed, 3I1
dwellings, sixteen churches and eight schools
We're burned. History shows few instances
of such fiendshness as has disgraced the
work of the Turkish troops in Asia Minor
AS these details became known a thrill of
horror swept over Europe, and the ambassa-
doris at Constantinople We've instructed to
demand that the sultan institute reforms in
his Asatic possessions. The sultan was
quick to promise, but slow to perform OFF,
Gals were removed, but as bad if not worse,
The Of