The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-18
SECRETARY OLNEY.
H1s CELEBRATED NOTE REOPEN.
ING NEGOTIATIONS.
Summarizes the Situation in re"
pr,ef Paragraphs, and Then Goes
at Length Into the Matter

WASHINGTON, Dec. Ii.-AccoiiA-
ratnving the presidents message Is
the correspondence on the subject
II is started with Secretary Olney' s
now celebrated note reopening the ne
e-otiations with Great Britain LOOKING
to the arbitration Of the bounoat ~
dispute, which bears date OF July ~
last. and is addressed 10 MT. PaSaa u
TThe secretary begins by saying that
tba nresident has given much anxious
tnougbt to the subject, and has not
~aached "a conclusion without a lively
sense of its great Importance as well
az of the serious possibility OF any
action now to be taken.
Ne then comments on the long dura-
ton of the boundary dispute, the in
definite" claims Of both parties, and
1.-THE continuous growth OF the I'M
defined British claims" the fate OF the
various attempts at aToItranon OF
the controversy and the part in the
matter heretofore taken by the Uni
ted States.
He shows that the British claims.
since the Schomberg line was run,
have moved the frontier of British
Guiana farther and farther to the
westward of the line proposed by Lord
Aberdeen in 1914"
Situation Summarized.
The secretary then summarizes the
situation at the beginning of this year
to be as follows:
FirsteThe title to territory of in
definite but confessedly very large eX-
tent is in dispute between the British
and Venezuela.
Second-The disparity Of strength
of the parties is such that Venezuela
can hope to establish her claim only
through peaceful methods.
Third-The controversy has existed
for half century, despite Venezuelas
efforts to establish a boundary.
FoUrth-Venezuela has for a quarter
of a century striven for arbitration.
Fifth-Great Britain has contin-
uously refused. except upon the re-
nunciaItion in her favor Of a. large
part of Venezuela's claims.
Sixth-The United States has made
it clear to Great Britain and the
world by frequent interposition of
one in which its honor and its inter-
ests are involved and the continuance
of which it cannot regard with in
difference.
Rights and Duties.
This status. the secretary says, COM
pels those charged with the interests
Of the United States to decide to
what extent If any, the United States
may and should intervene in a con-
! troversy between and primarily con-
corning only Great Britain and Vene-
zuela. and to decide how far it is
bound to see that the integrity of
Venezuela territory is not impaired by
the pretensions Of its powerful antag-
onist. Are any such duties devolved
upon the United States?
~
ready done all If not more than all
THAT a purely sentimental interest in
the affairs Of the two countries iusti-
fed. and to push its interpretation fur
Their would be unbecoming and I'M
dignified and might we'll subject it to
the charge Of imper'tinent intermed-
ding with affairs with which it has
no rishtful concern.
On the other hand, If any such right
and duty exist, their due exercise and
discharge will not permit of any ac-
tion that shall not be efficient, and
! that, if the power of the United States
is inadequate. shall not result in the
accomplishment Of the end in view.
The question thus presented as a mat
ter of principle, and regard being had
to the settled national policy, does not
seem difficult of solution. Yet the mo-
mentous practical consequences de-
pendent upon Its determination require
THAT it should be carefully considered
and THAT the grounds Of the conclusion
arrived ait should be fully and
frankly stated.
International Law.
The secretary lays it down as a
canon of international law that a, ma
tion may justly interpose in a con-
troversy between other nations when
ever what is done or proposed by amy
of the parties primarily concerned is
a serious and direct menace to its
own integrity. tranquility or welfare
The propriety of the rule, when APP
piled in good faith, will not be Ques-