The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-23
THE VENEZUELAN IhaBROGLIo
The Situation Regarded as a
Grave One at Washington.
IL Is Not Like tho Corinto Incident, Since
an Acquiesoence by Venezuela to Great
Britafo's Demand For Reparstion
Would be an Admission OF the Latter's
Territorial CIaims-More Corresnona.
ence Probable.


aims radical steps on the Venezuela n
question continue to excite the livslist
interest in official and diplomat cir.
cles. The demand has not yet reached
Caracas, as is evident from the fact
that Minister Andrade has not vet
heard from his government on the sub
ject.
President Crespo, who has been alb
sent from the capital on vac alton, has
started back for the purpose, 1t is be-
lieved, OF filling the four vacancies in
his cabinet which occurred recently
One OF these new officers is tho minis ter
OF foreign affairs.
There Is no doubt entertained here
that Orespo's new minister will share
tho views OF his predecessors, as no min
lstry or administration could survive in
Venezuela which did NOT make resiat-
anoe to British aggression It's foremost
policy.
Some of the latest reports from Lon-
don cause comment and criticism among
officials here. One OF these statement
attributes to Ambassador Bayard the
declaration that the Uruan incident ia
independent of the boundary question,
and that the United States can take no
part in the former incident. 1t is
pointed out here that the two questions
are lnseparably connected, The Uruan
incident is based on claim that the
Venezuelans arrested Sergeant Beherns.
OF the British constabulary, on British
soil, and that this indignity must be
repaired.
Inc Venezuelans claim that 1t
occurred on Venezuelan soil The
gravity of the case depends on the
ownership OF the territory where the
trouble took place. It is, therefore,
considered to involve the entire terri
torial question, although it is a specific
incident arising in tho disputed terri
tory. In Venezuela's answer to the
hrst demand for reparstion on this Incl
dent Minister Roj,s ssid that the repa-
ration was refused because it would be
aeconder OF the claims Venezuela
ever had made.
1t becomes more and more evident
that the British government is disposed
to make 1T appear that the Uruan Incl
dent is parallel to the Corinto affair and
may therefore be treated in the same
fashion without leading to the interven-
tion Of the United States, officials here
pointing out essential points of differ
enoe In the two incidents, and Mr. Bey-
ard will doubtless be instructed to en-
phasize these in his further Representa-
lions On the subject to the British
foreign office.
In the first case Great Britain de-
manded and obtained an indemnity from
Nicaragua on the ground that her
national honor had been outraged by
the summary expulsion of her repre-
sentative, although the latter was ONLY
an humble consular agent. The United
States consented to stand aloof on this
occasion on the theory that nation had
right to redress an insult; but in the
Uruan affair it cannot be maintained
for an instant that the British govern
ment has right to demand redress for
the arrest OF its officials until it shall be
hrst established that they were within
British territory, and thue the whole
issue is raised as preliminary.
LII these British officers were in Brit
ish territory then Venezuela must apol-
ogize and make any further reasonable
reparstion, but before she can be righ.-
fully expected to do this, hat fact must
be clearly shown, and nothing but an
agreement, amicable or enforced, upon
the exact loo alton of the boundary line
can settle this point.
therefore the attempt to Shift the is
sue, involving as 1t does q preiudgment
OF the rights of Great Britain to terri
tory claimed by Venezuela, is not likely
to secure the oountenance of our State
Department.