The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-23
THE ARREST.
Did Il Occur on Venezuelan Son o,
That Of Great Britain.
THE PRELIMINARY ISSUE RAISED
To Settle the Much-Talkad-of
Boundary Dispute.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23.--Great Britain's
radical steps in the Venezuelan question
continue 10 excite the livelicst interest in
official and diplomatic circles. The de-
niand has not yet reached Caracas, as Is
evident from the fact that Minister An
drade has not yet heard from his govern
ment on the subject President Crespo'
who has been absent from the capital on a
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 offices Is the ministry
of foreign affairs There is no doubt on
tertained here that Crespo's new minister
will share the views of his predecessors, as
no ministry or administration could sur
vive in Venezuela which did not make re-
sistance TO British aggression its foremost
policy.
Some of the latest reports from London
cause comment and criticism among Off
cials here One of these statements at
tributes TO Ambassador Bayard the de-
claration that the Yuruan incident is in
dependent of the boundary question, and
that the United States can take no part In
the former incident. 1t is pointed out
here that the two questions are inseparably
connected. The Yuruan incident is based
ona claim that the Venezuolans arrested
Sergeant Beherns OF the British con-
,tabulary on British soil, and that this
ndignity must be repaired. The Ven
)zuelans claim that it occurred on Ven
zuelan soI.
The gravity of the case depends on
ownership of the territory where the trou-
Bile took place. IL is, therefore, considered
10 involve the entire territorial question,
although 1t is a specific incident arising in
the disputed territory. In Venezuela's
answer to the first demand for reparation
on this incident, Minister Rojas said that
the reparation was refused because ID
would be surrender of all the claims
Venezuela ever had made.
England Fighting Against Intervention.
AS 1t becomes more and more evident
that the British government Is disposed to
make 1t appear that the Yuruan incident
Is parallel to the Corinto affair, and may,
therefore, be treated in the same fashion
without leading to the Intervention of
the United States. officials here are point
ing out 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 Nicaragua
on the ground that her national honor had
been outraged by the summary expulsion
of her representative, although the latter
was only humble consular agent. The
United States consented to stand aloof on
this occasion on the theory that a nation
had a right to redress an insult
But In the Yuruan affair 1t cannot be
maintained for an instant that the British
government has right to demand re-
dress for the arrest OF its officials. unless
1t shall be first established that they were
within British territory, and thus the
whole issue Is raised as preliminary.
II these British officers were In British
/. territory, then Venezuela must apologize
and make any other reasonable reparation,
but before she can rightfully be expected
to do this, that fact must be shown, and
nothing but an agreement, amicable or
enforced, upon the exact location Of the
boundary line can settle this point.
Therefore, the attempt 10 shift the issue,
involving as IL does a prejudgment of the
rights of Great Britain to territory claimed
by Venezuela, Is not likely to secure the
oountenance OF our state department..