Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-13
ENGLAND AND VENEZUELA.

German Views Not Favorable to the
Claims of Great Britain.
To the Editor of The Evening STAR
Americans will be interested to learn that
the Germans, who cannot possibly be said
to favor the Monroe doctrine, regard Eng
land as in the wrong. This opinion is also
held by the celebrated geographer, Profess
sor w. Sevas of Giessen. He expresses
himself as follows:
THE disputed territory is situated be-
tween the 6lst meridian west and the Rio
Essequibo, and belonged, with the exception
of small part of the coast, 10 the former
Spanish province of Caracas, of which Ven
ezuela must be regarded heir. In 1886 the
colony Guyana Uhe English spelling Guiana
is wrong) acknowledged the Pomeran river,
west of the Essequbo, as boundary. In
1888 the British government asked and OBJ
tanned permission of Venezuela to erect
lighthouses at the mouth of the Oriloko.
In 1872 the British boundary marks, which
Schomburg erected in 1871, had to be re-
moved upon protest on the part of We lezle-
la. In 1874 Lord Aberdeen proposed a line
favorable to England, which was, however.
rejected by Venezuela In the meantime
gold was discovered upon Venezuelan terri
tory, the output being, until 1893, 81, -, 900
boiivares GlO,250.OO0). Since then the Eng
lish slowly advanced upon Venezuelan terri
tory, getting holder with every revolution
that weakened the republic"
In summing up, Professor Sievas says:
Il. During the first half of the nineteenth
recognized as Venezuelan by the British
government, for an Englishman who COM
mitted murder in 1910 near the Morocco
river was sentenced by Venezuelan courts.
81. Not the VeneZuelans are anxious to
obtain the auriferous district for they have
1t already, but the English.
g. The NeneZuelans will only be defend
ing their rights If they remove encroachng
nd IN nrrf-
tory. 1t is not England whose patience is
exhausted, but Venezuela"
The Venezuelan consul general in Berlin
has published a declaration, n which 1t is
asserted that England has continually ad-
vanced her frontiers, so that nov she
claims over 2SO,0OO square kilometers, W here
only 1000 are due to her. When Venezuela
complained OF these encroachmants, the
English always declared themselves willing
to accept a suitable boundary line, that
is, one which would exclusively suit Great
Britain. The Barnes incident is described
as most fragrant violation of peace in the
German papers. The Echo Berlin, says:
"A few years ago the English established
frontier guard on the right bank Of the
Cuyunf river, opposite a spot where the
VeneZuelans had a small military post
Another Venezuelan picket of twenty men
was stationed little higher up the river
Last Christmas the men of the latter picket
wanted to celebrate the day with their COM
rades of the first-named larger garrison,
and consequently left their station, which
was Immediately taken possession of by an
English squad led by Inspector Barnes.
The Fenezuelans, upon their return, arrest
ed the English usurpers and sent them to
Ciudad Bolivar. whence they were sent
home. This act is claimed by the English
as an insult to the British flag, and for
which they demand $4,000 from Venezuela
The Venezuelan government, as matter
of course, took no notice of this demand,
and consequently England has sent an ul-
timatun."
Those briefly stated are the easily under
stood facts in the controversy between Eng
land and Venezuela, and yet England has
the audacity to contend that her claims
against our sister republic are so unmis-
takably just and equitable that she will
not consent to have them adjudicated by a
disinterested court of arbitration.
AS to the ultimatum England has served
on Venezuela, the whole civilized world is
waiting with no little interest to see
whether, in case of refusal by Venezuela to
comply with England's arrogant and Who'll
ly unjust demand, the latter government
will endeavor to force the little republic to
comply with that demand by blockading
and bombarding her principal seaports In
the event of such proceeding, the world is
probably still more interested in what Uncle
Sam may feel inclined to say or to do under
such extraordinary circumstances Whether
he will consent to the revival on the Ameri-
can continent of the old robber-bar Jns rule
and favorite plan,
That they should take who have the
power,
And they should keep who can
ZENAS c. ROBBINS.