New-York tribune., 1895-10-20
THE VENEZUELA BOUNDARY.


boundary dispute s Great Britain's unconcealed
determination to take all the territory she wants
without regard to rights or titles OF ownership
That has been her intention all along. She mas
practically avowed it, over and over again. never
with more brutal frankness than at the present
time when prominent and sometimes of1cial-
ly inspired London paper says bluntly that Brit
ish claims are greater now than they were
few years ago. and that few years hence they
will probably he much greater than they are
now. AS fast new mines or regions OF other
especial value are discovered the British "Doun
dary line Is altered as to include them with
In British Guiana. There really seems to be no
valid reason from the British point OF view, why
the whole Of Venezuela should not thus be
claimed: provided. of course that British pros
pectors report 1t all to be worth grabbing.
This feature Of the case Is amply established
by the history Of the British claims for the last
half-ceptury. When in 1914 Great Britain ac
oured Guiana from the Dutch the Essequibo
River was generally recognized as the boundary
between that province and Venezuela as 1t had
been recognized by Holland and Spain Tor near
ly two hundred years. A little bit of territory
west Of that river extending to the foInaroh'
was all the most aggressive Englishman dreamed
of claiming But about 1S4O claim was sudden
ly made Of everything westward TO the Ornoco
River Information had been received that that
country was rich in silver and gold; and 1t was
also seen that 1t would be good stroke to get
possession Of the mouth Of the Orinoco. ana so
control the commerce and navigation of thi'
great river. Against this outrageous demand
Venezuela protested vigorously. Thereupoh
Great Britain sent over Sir Robert Schonlbnrgk
to survey and mark the boundary. She ala SO
without the assent or cooperation or \ehezue"
and the work was done with regard TO no'hng
but British interests. Sir Robert drew fanci-
full line. beginning at the mouth OF the Ornoco
and curvng around to the west and south 40
as 10 take from Venezuela about onethrd or her
entire territory. He admitted that he had no
reason for drawing the line where he did eN-
cepting "A desire TO gain for British Guiana as
much good land as possible. Later his line was
materially altered. Lord Granville had an en-
tirely different boundary staked out; Lord Rose
berry one or two more. The whole region be-
tween the Ornoco and the Essequlbo Is marked
with British boundary lines dated 1914 1910,
1913. 1914. 1881 1886, 1890 1893 and 1891, no
two agreeing, and not one OF them having any
better excuse for existence than the demands OF
British greed, and the taste and fancy or the
diplomatic buccaneer who drew IT.
1t is perfectly easy TO understand why Great
Britain has been reluctant TO submit any part
of the case to arbitration. and why she positive
ly refuses to do so beyond certain line OF her
own drawing That line is far west OF the
boundary indicated on the best British maps,
and robs Venezuela Of tens OF thousands OF
square miles Of her best land According to the
London press the British Colonial Of1ce has
decided to hobby force, II necessary-a terri
tory east of the Schomburgk line. glance at
the map which we print on another page OF TO-
DAYS paper will show what that means. 1t Is to
be borne in mind that the Essequbo River Is the
true historic boundary and that all land acquired
by Great Britain to the west thereof has been
unjustly acquired that Venezuela has onered,
for the sake Of peace, to let the new line be
drawn along the sixtieth meridian, thus yielding
to the aggressOr a strip Of land hundred miles
wide and five hundred miles long; and that II
was many years ago agreed that, until the dis
pute was settled, neither party should forcibly
seize the disputed territory. Now Great Britain
does propose forcibly TO seize II, and thus 10
seize q vast area TO which she has no more title
than she has to Manhattan Island and refuses
TO submit the main features Of the case to arbitra
ton 1t is just as If q strong man, without a
voucher or an account book or any documentary
evidence, should demand 1000 from a weak
man, and should say he would submit only the
last $50 Of his claim to a court, insisting upon
the $3.50 without adjudication; and furthermore
should threaten to increase his demand to $1,000
next wear II the present claim were not satisfied
before that time.
That is the Venezuela boundary case as it
stands to-day. 1t should not be necessary TO
enlarge in detail upon this countrys interest in
IL. Apart from considerable business enter
prises. Of a legitimate character whose welfare
Is menaced by British aggression, there is the
great and paramount principle enunclated by
Monroe, Of which America can never afford to
be negectful. Some British papers, assuming
an ignorance even more dense than they really
possess have contemptuousy asked what the
Monroe Doctrine" is any way, and their sub
servient echoes here have cackled loudly over
the merry Jest Perhaps the reminder that the
foremost British statesman of his day approved
that doctrine and first proposed It's practical
enforcement may cause these superior beings
to revise their Judgment. We are told that the
American Ambassador to England two months
ago officially explained TO the British Govern
mept the bearing Of that doctrine upon the case
at issue, and that no adequate reply has yet been
made The former fact Is gratifying The lat
ter Is not surprising Great Britain does not
care to discuss the Monroe Doctrine with refer
ence 10 Venezuela any more than to submit the
boundary dispute TO arbitration. and for pre-
cisely the same reason She knows she Is in the
wrong, and that her iniquitous act is best to be
accumulated II AZ all In silenca and In dark.