The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-03
MOMENTOUS QUESTION
Tla 0rinOCO Concession by Venezuela
Nay Cause Complications.
THE DISPUTED TERRITORY
The Government Agitated over the
Prosp ct for the safety of It's
Citizens in the Coveted
Territory.

FARIBAULT. Mimi, April 2.-Donald
Grant, a wealthy contractor OF this clt';
w III. Fisher. late manager of the Duluth
& Winnipeg railroad, and j. A. Bowman,
a Grand Rapids, Mimi, banker, have
just returned from Venezuela, where they
oh, aimed a concession of land at the
mouth of the Orinoco, running 10 miles
south and from Is to 80 miles east and
west. 1t is rich in minerals, mahogany,
rosewood and dyewood. They also have
the right to a mine of asphalt on small
island near Trinidad. The syndicate will
invest a great deal of capital in working
the concessions and Mr.. Fisher is to be
manager.
WASHINGTON, April 2.-There is n great
deal more in the news from Farioault oil
the grant of a concession by Venezuela at
the mouth of the Orlnoco than is lndl-
Gated in the dispatches from there. Ihis
concession may become more or less
famous in the history of the diplomacy OF
the United States and Great Britain. The
concession is we'll calculated to bring to
an acute stage the diplomatic questions
before the state department, and one
which has caused the administration
more real concern than the Allianca al
fair, the late Observation-Disclosures dispute
| and other international episodes.
| The concession is in the heart OF the ter
ritory long in dispute between Ven ezuela
and Great Britain aud Ambassador Bay
ard for some time has vainly striven, III
| accordance with resolution recently
| adopted by congress, to persuade Great
| Britain to submit the whole dispute TO
| arbitration, Great Britain being willing
only to arbltrate beyond what is known
as the Schoomberg line. There have been
intimations that the administration, IN
the event Of a physical conflict over the
disputed lands. might deem il necessary
in the enforcement of the Monroe doc
trine to follow up the moral aid 1t has
rendered to Venezuela, with more
substantial assistance.
The fact that citizens OF the United
States, now by this concession, are thrust
so to speak, between Great Britain and
the United States, considerably increases
the measure of this governments respon
sibility. Senor Andreade, the Venezuelan
minister at Washington, says he has M
official confirmation of the grant, bu
admits he does not doubt its correctness
as 1t is in line with the reports that suct
concessions would be made.
The land included in the concession II
the vital point of conflict between Grea
Britain and Venezuela. The latter is th'
great commercial center of South Amer
lea, running far inland through Venezuela
Brazil and other countries. Whoeve
controls the mouth of the river will con
troll this great commerce. Great Britain
has taken possession OF Punta Barina, n
the mouth of which is 10 the Orinoc'
what the island of Gibraltar is to th'
Mediterranean. She has also equipped ;
naval station Oh Trinidad Island, just OF
the mouth. Her claims embrace boil
hanks of the stream at the mouth. 1t Is
part of this important strategic territor
that Venezuela now grants to Unitc'
States citizens.
The concession near Trinidad island i
believed TO be the island of Patos. 1t il
very near to the British naval station ant
particularly rich in asphalt. The presses
concession is the most emphatic declara
tion OF ownership Venezuela has mad
since 1881. In that year a concession wa
made to Messrs. Fitzgerald and Turnbull
citizens of the United States, of part o
this Orinoco territory. 1t was about to b
operated by United States commission
as the Monoa company, when Grea
Britain entered such an emphatic protes
that Venezuela cancelled the protestation
Since then the conflict between Grea
Britain and Venezuela has waged throug
diplomatic channels; now Venezuela rS
asserts her rights and turns them over
United States citizens. The interestin
question thus arises: "What steps wi
now be taken to assert her claims?' an
"Will Il endeavor to prevent the Unite
States syndicate operating its concei
sions?'