St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-24
FOR JOINT ACTION
bill PROPOSING A CONFERENCE
OF ALL THE AMERICAN
REPUBLICS.
REPLYING TO SALISBURY.
OLNEY SOON TO FORWARD AN
ANSWER TO THE PRE-
MIERsS LETTERS.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.
Great Britain May BE Given an
Opportunity to Submit Evil
dence to the Commission.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25. - Now
that congress has acted on the presi-
dents suggestions in authorizing the
appointment of the Venezuelan COM
mission to locate the boundary line
between British Guiana and Venezu-
ella, and the subject is again one for
executive treatment, 1T is believed
that Secretary Olney will formally
acknowledge the receipt of Lord Sails
bury's two notes and perhaps take oc-
casioT, as a matter of courtesy, to
formally advise the British govern
ment of the course which this gov
eminent intends to pursue, supple
menlting it, perhaps, by a request to
be put in possession of evidence with
in the control of the British foreign
Representative Beach, of Ohio, tomor-
row will introduce the following bill
authorizing the president of the
United States to call an international
conference.
dent of the United States be and is
hereby authorized to invite the govern
ments of the other American republics
to appoint plenipotentiaries will full
city of Washington within one year
from the approval of this act for the
formal acceptance and declaration of
the Monroe doctrine as a principle Of
international law.
Section 2. That any government
may appoint as many plenipotentiaries
as it may elect but in the determina-
ton Of questions before the conference
no government shall have more than
one vote.
"Section g. That the president be and
is hereby authorized to designate the
secretary of state as the plenipoten-
tiary on the part of the United States,
and that the sum of $5G,O00, or so much
thereof as may be necessary, be ap-
propriated out of any moneys in the
treasury of the United States, not 9TH
erwise appropriated, for the payment of
the expenses of said conference, and
the same shal! be disbursed under the
direction of the president In accord
ance with section 291 of the revised
statutes
MINISTER'S CONFER.
+ Three or four of the officers Of the
zcabinet were engaged in conferences
at Intervals throughout the day. In
the morning Secretaries Carlisle, La
mont and Herbert spent some time
at the White house together, and dur
ing the afternoon visits were ex-
changed between Secretaries Olney,
Lamont and Carlisle. The impression
is that, in addition to talking over the
financial conditions, they are inter-
ested in the personnel of the Venezue-
Ian commission. 1t is believed that
the president already is in communica-
ton with some Of the persons whom
he would be pleased to have undertake
this work. but in advance of their ac-
ceptance of membership their names
will not be made public, and conse-
quently the composition of the commits
sion is purely speculative at this time.
Chief Justice Fuller was a caller at
the state department today, which
gave rise to gossip as to the probable
ity of his appointment. The feeling is
growing that the talk of report by
next April was premature, as it is
said that men of the standing of those
who will be on this commission would
not consent to rush through a case
of this magnitude. The understanding
is that the headquarters of the COM
mission will be at Washington, and
that the main sessions will be held
here. Contrary to the general impress
sion, it is the belief in well-informed
official circles that the commission will
go very thoroughly into the British
side of the question, not confining it
self to the eX parte case as presented
by Venezuela. 1t is said this can be
accomplished without direct partici-
patton of Great Britain in the deliber-
atfons. There is no doubt of the re-
fuSal of the British to make formal
recognition Of the commission, nor Is
it likely that the British view of the
subject will be voluntarily presented
as evidence. But as a matter of JUS
tice, and to save the commission from
the imputation Of having looked at
only one side of the case, 1t is be-
lieved that the United States will take
the initiative to secure from the Brit
ish foreign Office a statement of the
British case. In the absence of a re-
quest the British foreign Office would
not voluntarily submit in eXtense the
British case, although Lord Sails
bury's summary of it Is taken in diplo-
matte quarters as a tender of readi-
ness to support it with details should
the United States request.
VENEZUELAN EVIDENCE.
On the other hand, the Venezuelan
side of the controversy is ready to be
offered as soon as the commission
meets. While it includes voIuminous
documents, maps, etc., in the archives
at Caracas, the essential points at
issue bring the Venezuelan case within
a comparatively small compass. 1t
consists, in substance, Of two parts,
one showing Venezuela's rights and the
other pointing out the weakness of the
British claims. In the first division is
the original map of the Schomberg
line, taken from the proceedings of
the Royal Geographical society, Au-
gust, $780, Lord Aberdeen's line is
shown from his original note to the
Venezuelan minister, DR.. Fortique, in
1874. Lord Granville's is shown from
memorandum given him to the Ven
ezuelan minister to England, DIR. Rojas,
in 1881. Lord Rosebery's line is shown |
by the original Of his note to Gen.
Guzman Blanco, in 1885, The altered
Schomberg line is shown by the pro-
ceedings of the Royal Geographical So
ciety, April, 1895. Lord Salisbury's line
is shown by map issued in 1890, taken
from a communication from Sir T. H.
sanderson, believed to have been act
ing under Lord Salisburys direction,
and addressed to the Venezuelan agent |
in London. In the second part of the
Venezuelan case will be g. statement
showing, it is asserted, that England's
esaim did not originate until 1911, when
she acquired 10000 square miles from
the Dutch; that Sir Robert schomburg
increased this to 10000 square miles;
that it grew to $1,000 square miles by
1885, and then jumped to a claim of
10000 square miles in the year fol-