The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-04-03
VENEZUELA DEFIANT.
She Grants to Americans Territory
Claimed by England.
ANOTHER DIPLOMATIC sNARL.

Should Great Britain Attempt to Proven,
the Operation of the Concession Uncle
Sam May be Obliged to Twist the British
lions Tail.
! FARIBAuLT, Mimi, April g. Donald
| Grant, q wealthy contractor of this city; I;
w. H. Fisher, late manager Of the Du-
luth and Winnipeg railroad and ]. A.
bowman, Grand Rapids MINI banker,
have just returned from Venezuela where
| they obtained n concession of land at the
mouth OF the Orinooo running 1875 miles
south and from fifteen to fifty miles east
and west. 1t is rich in minerals, mahog-
any, rosewood and dye woods They also
have the right to mine asphalt on a small
island near Trinidad The syndicate will
| invest u good deal of capital in working
the concession and Mr.. Fisher Ia to be
| the manager
WAsHINGToN, April 3-There is n great
deal more in the news from Faribault of
the grant OF concession by Venezuela at
the mouth of the Orinoco than Is indicated
In the dispatch. This concession may be-
come more or less famous In the history Of
the diplomacy Of the United States and
Great Britain. The concession is well
calculated to bring to an acute stage the
most troublesome diplomatic question be-
fore the state department, and one which,
as stated heretofore, has caused the ad-
ministration moro real concern than the
Alliance affair, the late Guatemalan- Mex
lean dispute and other international epi-
sodes.
The concession is in the heart of tho ter
ritory long In dispute between Venezuela
and Great Britain, and Ambassador Bay
ard for TINA i,1u at, t..
accordance with resolution recently
adopted by congress, to persuade Great
Britain to submit the whole dispute to ar
btration, Great Britain being willing to
arbitrate only beyond what is known as
the Schomberg line. There have been In
timations that the administration, In tho
event of physical conflict over the dis
puted lands, might deem 1t necessary in
the enforcement of the Monroe doctrine
to follow up the moral aid it has rendered
Venezuela with more substantial and DO
tent assistance. The fnct that citizens of
the United States by this concession are
thrust, so to speak, between Great Britain
and tho United States, considerably in
creases the measure of this country's re-
sponsibility.
Senior Andrade, the Venezuelan minis
ter at Washington, when seen concerning
no official confirmation of the grant Of tho
concession, but added that he docs not
doubt its correctness, as it is in line with
reports that such concessions would be
made.
The land included in the concession, he
saidi Is the vital point of conflict between
Great Britain and Venezuela. The Orinoco
ts the great commercial artery of South
America, running far inland, through
Venezuela, Brazil and other countries.
Whoever controls the mouth of the river.
Minister Andrade said, will control this
great commerce.. Great Britain has taken
possession of Punta Barina, at the mouth
which is to the Orinoco what the Island of
Gibraltar is to the Mediterranean She
has also equipped a naval station on Trim
idad Island, just off the mouth. Her
claims embrace both banks of the stream
at the mouth. 1t is part of this important
strategetic territory that Venezeula now
grants the United States citizens. The
concessions near Trinidad Island Ia be-
lieved to be the Island of Palos 1t is very
near to the British naval station and par
tioularly rich in asphalt.
The present concession Is the most en-
phatic declaration of ownership Venezuela
has nude since 1854. In that year con-
cession was made to Messrs. Fitzgerald and
Turnbull, citizens of the United States,
of part of this Orinoco territory. 1t was
about to be operated by United Statos
company known as the Manoa company,
when Great Britain entered such an en-
phatic protest that Venezuela cancelled
the concession. Since then the conflict
between Great Britain and Yenczuela has
been wagod through diplomatic chan
nels. Now Venezuela reasserts her rights,
and turns them over to United States eiti.
xens. The interesting question thus arises
whether Great Britain will endeayor to
prevent the United States syndicate from
operating its concession.