Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-18
.SALTSBURY'S VIEW
British Premisr's Reply to Sec.
rstary oIney's Demand.
SYNOPSIS OF THE LATTER PAPER.

Esgiand's Claim outlined - It Appesss 70
Our state Deparsmsns--rhs Marquis sayy
the Monroe DoctYins llas Noshinx % DO
with ;he Case. and ~ II Had the Doctriss
IL Not 1nternatioesi Iaw-sammssy os
His Lordship's Asgums.t.
WASHINGTON, Ice. le.-The correspond
ence sent to congress with the presidents
m,ssago on the Venezuelan dispute con.
sists of the note sent TO England by
Secretary Olncy and the reply Of the Brit.
ish premier. In Secretary Olney's note to
Salisbury he says:
The United States has made it clear to
Grcat Britain and the world by
frequent interposition Of good Offices that
the controversy is one in which its honor
and Its interests arc involved, and the con-
tinuance Of which It cannot regard with
indifference" He then says that tho
Monroe doctrine is an American public
law "wcll-foundcd In principle and abun.
dantly sanctioned by precedent, which en-
titles and requires tho United States to
treat as injury to herself the forcible rs
sumption by u European power Of polit-
ical control over an American state. Tho
application Of tho doctrine to the boun.
Diary dispute between Great Britain and
Venezuela remains to be made, and pro
sents no real difficulty"
Question Of Political Control.
The secretary argues that though relat.
ing to the boundary line the question Is
one of political control over domain of
great extent, the British claim apparently
expanding in two years some %, 600
square miles, and directly involving the
command Of The mouth Of the Orinoco. Of
immcncc consequence In connection with
the whole river navigation of the interior Of
south America. 1t Is not admitted, and
therefore cannot be assumed, that Great
Britain Is In fact usurping dominion over
Venezuelan soil. While Venezuela
charges such occupation Great Britain de-
nics It, and the United States, until the
merits are authoritatively ascertained, can
take sides with neither.
Rights Of the United States.
But IL may demand that the truth shall
be ascertaincd. Being entitled to resent
and resist any sequestration of Venezuelan
soil by Great Britain 1t Ii necessarily en-.
titled TO know whether such sequestration
has occurred or Is now going On. There
IL but ono feasible mode OF determining
the merits Of the question and that Is
pcaceablc arbitration. Great Britain i'd
mits that there Is controversy which
should b. adjusted by arbitration, but
nulliiles this admission by her insistence
that the submission sh al cover but q part
of the controversy. II It were t. point to
boundary which both parties either ex-
pressly or tacitly had ever agreed To the
demand that tho territory within that
might rest upon reasonable basis but
there Is no such line.
Founded On British Ipse Dixit.
The SECRETARY says that the British dc.
mand for recognition Of her right to a
portion of the disputed territory before
arbitration seems to stand upon nothing
but her own ipsc dixit. She says (com-
mcnts Olncy) to Venezuela in substance,
You can get none of the debatablc land
by force, because you arc not strong
enough; you can get none by treaty. be-
cause will not agree; and you can get
your chance Mt getting u portion by arbi-
tration only II you first agree to abandon
to me such other portions as may desig-
nate"
Canon nj International Law.
The secretary lays 1t down as canon Of
International law that nation may Justly
intcrpose In controversy between other
nations whenever what Is done or pro-
posed by any Of the parties primarily con-
ccrncd is n serious and direct menace to
Its own integrity, tranquility, or vel
fare"