The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-26

Secretary Olney's note to Great Britain
on the Venezuelan matter. 1t is
communication of about 5000 words and
contains a full review of the efforts
which the United States has repeatedly
made to secure settlement of the long
standing dispute between Great Britain
and Venezuela. It describes the his
tory of the Monroe doctrine to the
boundary dispute in Guiana and then
declares the principle which is the vital
part of the note and the great princl-
pie for which the United States is now
centending. namely that no European
power shall enlarge its territorial do
minion of the American continent by
means of force.
From this basis, Secretary Olney pro-
ceeds to declare that arbitration is OBJ
viously the only just methods by which
Great Britain can hope to reach SET
Element of her dispute with Venezuela
Such arbitration. he says the United
States now is as formerly, willing to
promote and facilitate. But he is as
emphatic as language permits in the
declaration that any attempt to reach
settlement of the contention by
means of force would be regarded as
an act unfriendly to the United States.
Reasonable Doubts Exist.
Secretary Olney is careful to point
out in this note that the United States
has no opinion to offer concerning the
merits of Great Britains dispute with
Venezuela. So far as the United States
knows, either party to the contention
may be in the right. But he reviews
the history of the territorial Inisunder-
standing between Venezuela on the one
side and Great Britain on the other
In -
doubts do exist as to the rights Of
either disputant, that Great Britain has
at various times herself admitted the
existence of this doubt, arising through
a series of complications, imperfect
descriptions and indefinite treaties. He
establishes as it appears, beyond con-
travention, that the dispute is Of that
character where no absolute right nor
clearness Of title exists with either
party, and that the quarrel is essen
tally one Of those MISUNDERSTANDING
between nations which, by innuner-
able international presidents, are pro-
perly to be adjusted by means Of arbi-
tration
Having thus effectually stopped any
possible plea that the territory in cues
ton is indisputably British soil, and
therefore coming within the rule that
no nation can submit to arbitration its
TUE 70 us own IerTlLOIy, secretary
Olney again declares that through the
Monroe doctrine the United States
Has n Right to IL Voice
in the settlement of this matter, and
that his voice is raised to urge that
the dispute be settled by arbitration
The secretary takes the ground that
arbitration may confirm Great Britain's
jurisdiction over all the disputed terri
tory. If this should be the finding of a
tribunal the United States would
henceforth respect that decision. But
ne shows that until Great Britain's
title shall have been passed upon by
such tribunal, the United States is and
will continue to be party to the ques-
ton.
Ten or eleven weeks have now
elapsed since this important commune
cation was placed in the hands of the
British government and no other
response has been received than for
mai 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 compiled with In any
case the probabilities are that the
president will officially make known
the contents of Secretary Olney's note
in his annual message.