The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-03

FARIBAULT. Mimi, April 2.-Donald
Grant, wealthy contractor Of this CITY;
w. II. Fisher, late mansger of the Du-
luth and Winnipeg railroad, and j. A.
Bowman, Grand Rapids. MINI,
banker, have just returned from Vene-.
zuela. where they obtained concession
OF land at the mouth of the Orinoco,
running l25 miles south and twelve to
fifteen miles west. II ia rich in miner
ais, mahogany, rosewoodI and dye
woods. They also have the right TO
mine asphalt on small island near
Trinidad. The syndica ate will invest a.
good deal OF capital in working the
concession and Mr.. Fisher is to be man.
ager.
A Washington dispatch says: There
IS great deal more in the news from
Faribault, Mimi, of the grant of a con.
cession by Venezuela at the mouth of
the Orinoco than Is indicated in the
dispatch. This concession may become
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 CUES
ton before the State Department., and
one, as exclusively stated heretofore in
Associated Press dispatches, that has
caused the administration moro real
concern than the Alliance affair, the
late Guatemalan- Mexico dispute and
other international episodes.
The concession is in the heart of the
territory long in dispute between Vene
zuela and Great Britain, and Ambassa-
dor Bsyard for come time has vainly
strived, in accordance with resolution
recently edopted by Congress to per-
suade Great Britain to submit the
Wnole dispute to arbitration, Great
Britain being willing to ar bitrate only
beyond what is known as the Schom.
berg line. There have been intima
tions that the administration in the
event OF physical conflict over the
disputed lands, might deem it necessary
In the enforcement of the Monroe doc.
trine to follow up the moral aid that it
has rendered Venezuela with more sub
stantial and potent assistance.
The fact tnat citizens of the United
States now, by this conc sssion, are
thrust so to speak. between Great
Britain and tho United States, consid
eraoly increases the measure OF this
country's responsibility Senior An.
dradge, the Venezuelan minister at
Washington, when seen concerning th q
Faribault paragraph said that he had
no official confir % ton of the grant of
the concession, but adds that ne does
not doubt its correc tness, as 1t Is in line
with reports thatsuch concessions would
DO made The land included in the
concession, he said, is the vital point of
conflict between Great Britain and Ven.
ezuela. The Oronoco is the great COM
merclal arseeYof 5 )u tn Anne rics, run
ming far inland, through Venezuela,
Brazil and other countries. Whoever
controls the mouth OF the river, Minis.
ter Andrade said, will control this great
commerce.
Great Britain has taken possession of
Punta Bsriua, which is to the Orinoco
what the Island of Gibraltar is to the
Mediterranean. She css also equipped
naval station on Trinidad Island, lust
OIL the mouth. Her claims embrace
both banks of the stream at the mouth
IL Is part OF this important strategic
territory that Venezuela now grants 70
United States citizens. The concession
near Trinidad Island Is believed to bs
the island OF Patoas. 1t is very near to
the British naval station and particu-
lsrly rich in asphalt.
The present conees sion Is the most
emphatic declaration OF -rship
Venezuela has mado since 1894. In that
year concession was made TO Messrs.
Fitzgerald and Turnbull, citizsns OF tho
United States, of part OF this Otincoo
territory. l was about to be operated
as United States company, known as
the Maaoa Company, when Great Britain
entered such an emphatic protest that
Venezuela cancelled the concession
Since then the flic; between Great
Britain and Venezuela has been waged
through diplomatic channels. Now
Venezuela reasserts her rights aud turns
them over to United States citizsps.
The interesting questions thus arise,
What steps will Great Britain now
take to assert her claims?" and "Will 1t
endeavor to prevent the United States
syndicate operating it's ooncession?"