The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-19
as compared with all Of the other nations

as compared with all of the other nations
of the earth.
Then, too. there are billions Of dollars
of English capital invested in this country,
all of which would be jeopardized, If not
lost, by an arbitrament by force. | hope
sincerely. for the good of all the world,
that war will never be declared, but
think il a possibility,f it is not proba'
bllity."
FROM THE STANDPOINT OF AN ENoLIsHMAN.
Francis P. LEROY, of the law firm OF
Graft & LEROY, is one of the best known
English residents of Los Angeles. Mr.. Le-
troy when seen last evening by a HERALD
representative had just completed a read.
ing of all the documents in relation to the
Venezuelan controversy. His views upon
the subject are stated in concise form as
follows:
II think that the message of President
Cleveland is Il dignilied aud capable pro-
duction by which the president ingeniously
shifts the burden of responsibility of deal
ing with the difficult question at issue from
the executive branch of the government on
TO congress.
ut seems to me that the weakness of the
position adop'ed by the press of the United
States as a whole. in so far as one can
judge by the extracts given in The HER
AID this morning, lies in attributing too
much importance to the effect of the
message. All that Ieveland really does is
to recommend the appointment of a COM
mission to investigate the merits of the con-
troversy between Great Britain and Ven-
ezuela. This proposal seems to be entirely
in line with Secretary Olney's statement,
that "it is not admitted and therefore can
not be assumed that Great Britain il in
fact usurping dominion over VENEZUELAN
soil. While Venzueia charges such usur-
pa ion, Great Britain denies it, and until
tho IA ro anf ~ tn iualy a nad
can take 81 les with neither"
"Of course the d tficulties under which
any commission will sbor IN ende avoring
to arrive at q conclusion as to the merits of
controversy between parties, one only of
whom will appear before itycannot be
overlooked.
1.-THE Venezuelan minister in Washing
ton is quo.ed in The HERALD as stating
that evea the furnishing of evidence rs far
as Venezuela is concerned will be laborious
work, as the documents and m .ps are vo-
luminous and from many sources, includ-
ing those of Holland, Spain and other
countries as we'll as Venezuela.
Moreover. imagine that the claims of
Spain in the western hemisphere to which
Venezuela succeeded, were based upon
papal bulls, and other documents are ex-
pressed with vagueness ill adapted to the
accuracy demanded of a court desiring to
decide an intricate question in spirit Of
impartiality.
"lt seems to me that 1t is very prema-
ture at this stage to discuss what action
the United States government will take If
the people OF this country become con-
WINGED that Great Britain is endeavoring to
seize the territory of an American repub-
lie.
"Great Britain, not unna tllrally, denies
the soft impeachment, and see no reason
to attribute more weight to the statement
OF South American republic than to that
of Great Britain.
1.-The statement Of the Los Angeles
Times that the presidents message re-
duced to it's simplest terms means arbi.
trate or hight is absurd. Great Britain de-
1lines to arbitrate, and at present there is
nothing to fight about.
Quit the territory the Venzuelans claim
or fight, would be a logical demand.
1T .nay be tina the result of the deliber.
atiohs OF President Clevelands commis.
sion will be that about October, 1896, he
may be in position to put the demand of
the United States government to Great
Britain in thai interesting way.
meanwhile l think that even those who
would most deprecate so great calamity
as war between the two leading nations of
the world NAV rest easily, undisturbed by
serious fears of the occurrence of any such
disaster to the human race"
BOTH SIDES MAY TALK TOO MUCH.
Rusk Harris, the law partner of the
British vice-consul, Was also seen. Mr..
Harris was somewhat reticent about giving
his OPT nion, but he consented to talk
briefly. He said:
ut is not to my mind a very great ques-
ton over which to 60 to war, but the only
thing to be feared is the possibility that If
the correspondence continues between the
two nations they will both say things that
Will render ii impossible for a peaceable
settlement to be obtained without one or
the other of the contestants retracting
some statements that have been made
That is to say, if the matter continues to
be subject of controversial correspond.
ence the result may be that either Great
Britain or the United States will have to
back down-so to speak. 1 do not care to
give an opinion on the merits of the con-
troversy.n
"AfoTHEosIs OF JINooIsM."
George A. Dobn son, the editor Of the
Investor, says that President Cleveland is
the "smartest man in the United Statesn
to-day, but he regards his message on the
Neuezuel an question as the ''apol heosis of
jingosm." Mr.. Dobnson is very pro-
nounced in his opinions about the message,
the spirit of which he condemns in I'M
measured terms. He will say in the In.
weston today:
"The Cleveland doctrine is now the
question of the hour, and the apotheesis of
jingoism has arrived. Mr.. Cleveland's
astuteness as a politician is shown by the
master stroke with which he has converted
luke warm friends and even enemies into
panegyris 5 in single day.
with great cieverness he has convinced
people for the moment that The settlement
of few miles Of boundary line in mon
grei little South American republic is a
matter that lis important to our peace and
safety as nation. and is essential to the
integrity of our free institutions and tram
quill maintenance of our distinctive form
of government
WILLIAM LACY's VIEWS.
Mr.. William Lacy. who was interviewed
late last night spoke in substance as fol-
lows: The presidents message seems to
be directly to the point, though trifie Sc
we're. 1t would be great calamity if the
two great nations should be involved in
war. The affair will probably be amicably
settled