The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-10-30
England's Idea of Arbi-
tration.

at last consented 10 submit ner dis
pute with Venezuela to arbitration.
But whatever of surprise may exist
will Immediately change to indigna-
tion when it is learned that the terms
which England imposes as the con-
dition of such arbitration involves a
practical surrender by Venezuela of
the real question in dispute. Eng.
land is always ready to arbitrate if
by such peaceful means she can Sc
cure more than by her customary
bulldozipg tactics. Diplomacy with
England is simply wholesale brigand-
age made easy and safe. This fact is
fully illustrated in the present in
stance
1t is understood that the Salisbury
government is now willing to submit
to arbitration the territorial dispute
between British Guiana and Vene.
zuela at the Intervention of the
United States, provided that Vene-
zuela recognizes in advance the
British claim to all the territory lying
east of the Schomburgk line. This
is simply preposterous. If Secretary
Olney and Ambassador Bayard have
favored such a condition as the pre-
cedent Of arbitration. then they have
clearly betrayed the interests of
Venezuela Since 1914, when Great
Britain acquired Guina from Holland,
Venezuela has been the unhappy
victim of British aggression. Upon
various and equally specicns pretexts,
England has made claim to coveted
Venezuelan territory These claims
have shifted, as to the extent Of ter
ritory embraced. as Venezuelan re-
sources have developed. According
TO the treaty of Munster, the origi-
nal eastern boundary Of Venezuela
and the western boundary of British
Guiana was definitely designated as
the Essequibo River.
England subsequently claimed,
however, all territory up to tue
Pomaron River, which is fifty miles
west Of the original boundary. Then,
in 184l, she made another claim
based upon the scbomburgk survey.
This was so strenuously disputed
that England made another change,
in which she accepted the Morocco
River as the basis of her claim In
1874 British Guiana placed upon
record her voluntary confession that
there was no foundation for British
claim west of the Pomaron But in
1881, England again located her
claim west of that boundary, and in
1890 sought to secure the control OF
the Delta Of the Orinoco Thus
England designed to gather in by
one fell swoop the richest min
eral district in Venezuela, and
certainly the most valuable ter
r!tory on the Caribbean. But in
demanding the Schomburgk line as
the basis of arbitration, Great Britain
carries her claim far north and west
and impinges upon the banks of the
Orinoco itself. This line runs along
the right bank of the Amacuro, ar
affluent of the Orinoco near it's mouth
and thus would establish England or
the right bank of Venezuela's princi'
pal river highway.
1t is difficult to understand how
England can now fall back upon the
Schomburgk line as the basis of arbi
tration, after placing herself upor
record as early as 1914 as disavowine
that boundary as the basis oe hel
claim. The Schomburgk line is no
at ali germane to the present dispute
and has never been. and should neve
be. recognized by Venezuela. 1t ii
certain that the United States cannc
afford to give countenance to Grea
Britain in making such extravagan
and manifestly unjust demands
These demands are so distinctlJ )
aggressive, within the definition anc
prohibition of the Monroe doctrine al
to make it obligatory upon the Unitsd
States to reeist and thwart, rather
than encourage and abet, this sinister
movement CT England upon the terri
tory of our sister American republic
| Our cable dispatches to-day indi
cate the degree of sincerity Of the
representations by which Bayard and
Cleveland have again been buncoed
in diplomacy MIR Chamberlain, the e
"St. James's Gazette" says to day,
has decided that the frontier within
the Schomburgk line shall be held by
force if necessary. 1t also appears
that provision has been made to pro-
cure Maxim guns to defend the from
tier as claimed up to the Schom-
burgk line. Mr. Bayard has simply
been the recipient of another gold
|