The Red Cloud chief., 1895-11-01
.OINEY TO JOHN BULL
CONTENTS OF HIS NOTE
ON VENEZUELA.
1he MONROE Doctrine was So Clearly Ex-
'pouaded That There Could be NO Poe
able Misunderstanding or America's
Position Eleven Weeks and No Reply.

New York, Oct. ga special to
b Herald from Washington says
that additional particulars have lust
been nscertained concerning the con-
tents of Secretary Olney's note to
Great Britain on the Venezuelan mat
ter. II is a communication Of about
5000 words and contains IL full review
OF the efforts which the United States
q repeatedly made 10 secure u set
Element OF the long standing dispute
between Great Britain and Venezuela.
1t describes the history Of the Monroe
doctrine, points out the applicability
OF this doctrine to the boundary dis
pute, and then declares the principle,
which is the vital part Of the note and
n great principle for which the
United States is now coutending-
namely, that no European power shall
enlarge its territorial dominion on the
American continent by means of force.
From this basis Secretary Olney pro.
ceeds to declare that arbitration is
obviously the only Just method by
which Great Britain can hope to reach
y settlement of her dispute with Ven
ezucla. Such arbitration. he SAYS, the
United States Is now. as formerly,
willing to promote and facilitate. But
nc is as emphatic rs language permits
IN tho declaration that any attempt to
reach a settlement of the contention
by mean of force would he regarded
rs IN act u~nfriendly to the United
States.
Secretary Olncy is careful to point
ont in this note that the United States
has no opinion to offer concerning the
merits. OF Great Britain's dispute with
Venezuela. So far as the United
States knows, either party to the con
tention may be in the right But he
reviews the history OF the territorial
misunderstanding between Venezuela
on tho IN side and Great Britain
on the other in order to show
most conclusively that doubts do
exist as tn the right of either
.disputant; that Great Britain has
at various times herself admitted the
existence Of the doubt, arising through
a series of complications, imperfect
descriptions and indefinite treaties.
He establishes, as it appears, beyond
~contravention, that the dispute rs of
that character where NO absolute right
nor clcarness OF title exists with either
party, and that the quarrel is essen
TALLY one of those misunderstanding
between nations which. by innumera-
BILE international preccdcnts, are pro-
perly to be adjusted by means of ar
bitration.
Having thus effectually cstopped
any possible plea that the territory in
question is indisputabiy English soil
and therefore coming within that rule
that no nation can submit to arbitra-
lion as to title to its own territory,
Secretary Olney again declares that.
through the Monroe doctrine, the
United States has n right to "a voice in
the settlement Of this matter, and that
his voice is raised to urge that the DIS
pute be settled by arbitration.
The Secretary takes the ground that
arbitration may confirm Great Brit
aims jurisdiction over all the disputed
territory. IL this should be the find
would henceforth respect that de-
,cisIon; but. he holds. that until Great
Britain's title shall have been passed
upon by such tribunal, the United
States Is and will continue to be u
party to the question.
Ten or eleven weeks have now
elapsed since this important communi-
cation was placed in the hands of the
British government, and no other re-
Spouse has been received than Il formal
acknowledgement. The officials would
very much like to have a reply before
Congress convenes, but they are by no
means sanguine that their wishes will
be complied with. In any ease, the
probabilities are that the President
will officially make known the on
tents Of Secretary Olney's pote in his
annual message.