The herald., 1895-04-03
CONCESSION IN Venezuela
Grant That a Young Contractor
Has Secured
SCHEME BEHIND THE GRANT
The Name of the British Lion Looms
Up in the Case
Some Peculiar Facts About Rich Concession
Thst Is Causing riuch Comment
In Official Circles

FARIBAULT, Mimi, April 2. 2.--Donald
Grant, wealthy contractor of this city;
W. II. Fisher, late manager of the Duluth
and Winnipeg railroad. and j. A. Bowan,
a Grand Rapids Minnesota, banker
have just returned from Venezuela, where
they obtained concession of land at the
outh of the Orinoco. running 125 miles
south and from fifteen to fifty miles east
and west. It is rich in minerals, mahog-
any. rosewood and dye woods. They also
have the right to mine asphalt on
small island near Trinidad. The syndi-
cate will invest good deal of capital in
working the concessions and Mr.. Fisher
is to be the manager.
WASHINGTON, April 2.-There is
great deal more i'll the news from Fari-
bault of the grant OF concession by Ven
ezuela at the mouth of the Orinoco than
is indicated in the dispatch. This con-
cession may become more OF less famous
in the history of the diplomacy of the
United States and Great Britain.
This concession is well calculated to
bring to an acute stage the most trouble
some diplomatic question before the
state department anu one which, as ex-
clusively stated before in the Associated
Press dispatches, has caused the admin
istration more real concern than the Al
lianca affair the late Guatemaian- Mex
lean dispute and other international epi-
sodes. The concession is in the territory
long in dispute between Venezuela and
Great Britain ana Ambassador Bayard
has for some time vainly striyen i'll ac-
cordance with resolution recently
adopted by Congress to persuade Great
Britain to submit the whole dispute to ar
~ Rritain bpinU willing
only to arbitrate beyond what is known
as the Schem burg line.
There have been intimations that the
administration in the event of physical
conflict over the disputed lands might
deem it necessary in the enforceme ent
of the Monroe doctrine, to follow up the
moral aid it has tehoered to Venezuela
with more substantial assistance.
The fact that citizens OF the United
States, vino, by this concession, are thrust,
so to speak, between Great Britain and
the United States, considerably increases
the measure of this governments repon-
sibilty. Senior Andrade, the Venezuelan
minister at Washington. says he has no
official confirmation OF the grant, but ad-
mits he does not doubt its correctness, rs
it is in line with reports that such con-
cessions would be made.
The land Included in the concession is
the vital point of conflict between Great
great commercial center of South Amer
lea, running far inland through Vene-
zuela. Brazil and other countries. Who
ever controls the mouth OF the river VIII
control this great commerce.
Great Britain has taken possession OF
Punta Barina. the mouth of which is to
the Orinoco what the Island of Gibraltar
is to the Mediterranean. She has also
equipped a naval station on Trinidad ISL
and, Just off the mouth. Her claims en-
brace both banks of the stream at the
mouth. 1t is part OF this important
strategic territory that Venezuela now
grants to the United States citizens.
The concession near Trinidad island is
believed to be the Island of Patos. 1t is
very near to the British naval station and
particularly rich in asphalt. The present
concession is the most emphatic declara-
ton of ownership Vetnezuela has made
since 1884.
In that year concession was made to
Messrs. Fitzgerald and Turnbull, citizens
of the United States Of part of this Orinoco
territory. 1t was about to be operated
by a United States combination as the
Manoa Company when Great Britain en-
tered such an emphatic protest that Nene
zuela cancelled the concession. Since the
conflict between Great Britain and Nene-
zuela has waded through diplomatic chan
nels now Venezuela reasserts her rights
and turns it over 10 United States citi-
zens.
The interesting question thus arises
"What steps will now be taken to assert
her claims?" and 'Will it endeavor to
prevent the United States syndicate oper-
ating it's concessionP"