The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-10-23
UNCLE SANS ATTITUDE
England'a Radical Action Causes
Excitement at Washington.
NOT LrKETHE NICARAGUA AFFAIR.

Crest Britssn's Attempt 70 shift tho Issue
Not likely TO Secure the Countspance Of
Our stats Dspartmsnt-England should
First Prove Her Claim.
WASHINGTON, Oct. s3.-Great Britain's
radical steps on the Venezuelan question
continue to excite the liveliest interest In
official and diplomatic circles. The demand
Inns not yet reached Caracas, as Is evident
from the fact that Minister Andrade has
not yet heard from his government on the
subject. President Crespo, who had been
absent from the capital on q vacation, has
started back for the purpose, IL is believed,
OF filling the four vacancies In his cabinet,
which occurred recently. One Of these
new officers is the minister of foreign af-
fairs. There Is no doubt entertained hero
that Crespo's new minister win share tho
views Of his predecessors, as no minister or
administration could survivein Venezuela
who did not make resistance to British
aggression its foremost policy.
Some Of the latest reports from London
cause comment and criticism among OIL
cials here. One Of these statements attrib-
uted to Ambassador Bayard the declara
tion that the Uruan incident is indepen-
dent of the boundary question, and that
WV ~ hheo0 A1tutCo ttti tuht iio Phfe III tiio
former incident. 1t Is pointed out here
that the two questions are inseparably con.
nected. The Uruan incident is based on
claim that the Venezuelans arrested Ser
geant Beherens, Of the British constabu-
larry, on British soil, and that this indig-
nifty must be repaired. The Venezuelans
claim that 1t occurred on Venezuelan soil.
The gravity of the case depends on own
ership of the territory where the trouble
took place. 1t is therefore considered to
involve the entire territorial question, al
though it is a specific incident arising In
the disputed territory. In Venezuela's an
swcr to the first demand for PREPARATION on
this incident Minister Rojas said that the
reparation was refused because 1t would
be a surrender of all the claims Venezuela
ever had made -Ir
As 1t becomes more and more evident
that the British government is disposed to
make it appear that the Uruan incident is
parallel to the Corinto affair, and may
therefore be treated in the same fashion
without leading to the Intervention Of tho
United States, officials here are pointing
out the essential points Of difference in the
two Incidents, and Mr.. Bayard will doubt
less be instructed to emphasize these in
his further representations on the subject
to the British foreign office.
In the first case Great Britain demanded
and obtained an indemnity from Nicara-
qua on the ground that her national honor
had been outraged by the summary ex-
pulsion of her representative, although
the latter was only an humble consular
agent. The United States consented to
stand aloof on this occasion on the theory
that a nation had right to redress an in
suit.
But, In the Uruan affair It cannot be
maintained for an instant that the British
government has right to demand redress
for the arrest of It's officials unless 1t shall
be first established that they were within
British territory, and thus the whole issue
Is raised as a preliminary. II these British
officers were in British territory then Ven
ezuela must apologize and make any fur
ther reasonable PREPARATION, but before she
can be rightfully expected to do this that
fact must be clearly shown and nothing
but an agreement, amicable or enforced,
upon the exact location Of the boundary
line can settle this point.
Therefore, the attempt to shift the issue,
involving as it does q prejudgment Of tho
rights Of Great Britain 60 territory claimed
by Venezuela, is not likely to secure ths
countenance of our state department..