Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-17
THE TWO POSITIONS
This Country and Great Britain as
to the Venezuelan Boundary.
INSTRUCTIONS sent TO MIR. BAYARD
The Probable Character of Lord
SaIisbury's Answer.
MONROE DOCTRINE INVOLVED

The Associated Press dispatch from Lon
don this morning is fully confirmatory of
the statement made in The Star some
weeks ago, and repeated several times
since in The Star and in other papers, that
Ambassador Bayard has been instructed to
represent to the British government the
attitude of the United States toward any
foreign encroachment upon American soil
and to suggest a speedy settlement Of the
boundary dispute with Venezuela.
On the 9th of August. shortly after the
letter to Mr.. Bayard was written, The
Star stated, with authority, that 'it is
understood that Mr.. Bayard, the American
representative in England, has been in
structed to make j strong presentation of
the attitude of this country with relation
to the boundary dispute between Great
Britain and Venezuela. Great Britain, it
Is said. Is to be given, or already has been
given, to understand that this country looks
with disfavor upon any encroachment upon
Venezuelan territory, and 1t Is the feeling
OF the President that the dispute should
be speed.ly submitted to arbitration" The
dispatches from London fully confirm this
and subsequent statements in The Star on
the subject, and state, as is understood
here to be the case, that no reply has been
made by Lord Salisbury.
Not Impatient for a Reply.
AS yet there has nothing developed in
the case to render the State Department
at Washington impatient for a reply. 1t Is
a grave question, and hasty answer Is
not desired. 1t Is expected, however, that
the reply will be made before Congress
meets. and 1t should be received before the
middle of November. The editorial declara-
tion of the London Times, uttered stimuli
taLeousy with the semi-official acknowl-
edgment that the letter from Secretary
Oiney has been presented to Lord Sails
bury, Is regarded here as significant, indi-
eating the character of the reply which
Lord Salisbury will submit. 1t is regarded
as indicating that Great Britain will dis
miss the question of force of the Monroe
doctrine with a statement that 1t Is not IN
volved. and, therefore, will not be dis
cGssed, and will proceed to maintain that
there is no attempt being made to acquire
new territory In america, but merely to
hold what is already British territory. The
territory beyond the Schomburgh line
which is in dispute she is willing 10 arbi-
trate upon, as has already been indicated.
Lord Salisbury, it Is thought, may go fur
ther than this in his reply to Mr.. Bayard,
and agree to submit to arbitration ir add.-
ton to the question of whether there is
anything to arbitrate upon within the
Schomburgh line. This is the sort of prop
osition that was considered in ction
with the Bering sea arbitration, which was
disastrous to the United States. There is
in fact, story here that such a proposi-
t!on has already been agreed on between
Venezuela and Great Britain, through the
trtercessions of Mr.. Bayard, and that Mr.
Cleveland will so announce to Congress-.
Not COuntennnce Such an Agreement.
1t is entirely improbable that the Presi-
dent and Mr. Olney would give countenance
to such an agreement, unless their position
as set forth in the letter to Mr.. Bayard was
no more than a pretense and they are glad
of Of
sequence. The position of Venezuela and
of this government Is that the British ter
ritory is fully laid out in the earlier maps
which do not include the disputed terri
tory, and that the Dutch claimed no more,
nor did the English until long after they
acquired British Guiana.
A proposition to simply ask arbiters
whether there is anything to arbitrate is
equivalent to having an arbitration upon
the Monroe doctrine. This country could
not OF course, agree to submit the Monroe
doctrine to arbitration any more than 1t
could submit the doctrine of protection to
foreign arbitration. There is not a govern
ment off the continent of America which
would be qualified to try the case. 1t is
believed that Lord Salisbury Is adroitly
trying to get Mr.. Bayard into trap.
The Two Positions.
What England was given to understand,
In diplomatic language, was that the
United States would not acknowledge her
jurisdiction over the disputed territory,
which We believe to belong to Venezuela,
unless it were decided by arbitration that
1t was properly a part of the British pos
sessions acquired from the Dutch What
England is willing to submit to arbitration
Is the question whether we have the right
to insist upon her title being proved-in
other words, whether the Monroe doctrine
is valid.
DIPLOMATS, Attention AttracteL
The evidently inspired comment Of the
leading British newspapers upon this letter
has attracted serious attention among the
diplomatic body here, and they see in 1t
good deal of significance and possibly a
threat Of grave complications to follow.
The statement that is held to be of par
ticular significance is that the British gov
ernment regards the views set forth in
Secretary Oiney's letter as so important
that a long time must be taken for it's con-
sideration. AS there is nothing new, to
Great Britain especially, in an enuncia ton
In a mild form of the Monroe doctrine, 1t Is
assumed here that the only purpose of de-
laying response which the terms of the
letter indicated would be gratefully received
If sent promptly, is to afford, the British
government an opportunity to consult with
some OF the other great European powers
upon this subject. Most of these powers
are concerned in the fortunes of American
states. some directly and in measure like
Great Britain, as in the case of France and
Spain with their colonial possessions and
others through heavy investments of their
citizens in the securities and concessions
Result of the Doctrine Laid Down.
The doctrine laid down by Secretary
Olney. if carried to its logical conclusion,
would probably estop any interference by
force on the part of European power in
the affairs of American republic, and
also as In the case of Venezuela which
may find parallel in the case of the
boundary dispute between France and
Brazil, prevent any of these European ma
tions from extending their colonial possess
sions in this hemisphere. Therefore, it is
believed by some diplomats here to be
within the range of possibility that Great
Britain may have in contempla ton a union
with some of the other European powers
In joint refusal to accept the doctrine
laid down by Monroe. Such a combinatio
could be viewed with the gravest concern
by the United States.
Capt. Hobbs New Duties.
Capt. Frank L. Hobbs. ordnance depart
ment has been detailed as member of
the board of officers appointed to test