Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-20
MIND AGAINST MIND
Venezuelan Affair Reaches the Crucial
Stage of Its EluCidation.
SKILL IN QUlBBLlNG NOW COUNTS MOST
Diplomatic Dodging of Points Presented the
Game to Be Practiced.
BRITISH CHAMPIONS ARE WELL EQUIPPED
Peers Of Their Glass to Engage in the
Delicate Negotiation.
British CHAMPIONS ARE WELL EQUIPPED
MONROE DOCTRINE TO Be DISPOSED OF
Olney's Statement of the Somewhat I
Vague and Elusive Principle to
he Tested in Europe's Political
Crucibles and Retorts.

NEW YORK, Oct. 19.-(Speclal Teegram.)
There is no longer any doubt that the
State department sent dispatch to Mr..
Bayard last July or August on the Ven
ezue,a business. This dispatch, in the usual
course of diplomatic affairs, would be read
by our ambassador to the British foreign
minister, and a copy of 1t left with him. A
formal acknowledgement Of its receipt might
or might not be made. Mr. Bayard was prob
ably instructed to ask for an early reply, and
Lord Salisbury would be sure to say that an
answer should be forthcoming as soon as he
had had time to study the case presented
by the United States with that care which
proper respect for friendly government
would require.
There the matter would rest so far as Mr..
Bayard was concerned Foreign Office clerks
would be set to work to look up the Anglo
Venezuelan record. That Office is so organ
lied that each one of it's under secretaries of
whom there are four, has a specified class of
subjects assigned to him. A case of this kind,
to which sudden Importance has accrued from
the presentation Of such dispatch as Mr..
Olney's, might be specially referred, and
would in that case probably come into the
hands OF Sir Thomas Sanderson, the perma-
nent under secretary and for many purposes
the real head of the foreign Office Sir
Thomas Sanderson is the successor to Sir
Phillip Curre, who ruled over this great de-
partment from 1889 to 1898, when he was
sent as ambassador to Constantinople. The
use Of the official terms, under secretary and
clerk. is apt to mislead the public as to the
real Importance Of these positions But 1t
will be obvious that an under secretary who
presently becomes ambassador at the most
difficult capital in Europe, Paris excepted,
must be very able man. Sir Thomas San
derson, though as unlike Sir Phillip Currie
as possible, is also a very able man, who has
been nearly forty years in the foreign office,
except when assigned TO special duty out
side. One such assignment in his case was in
connection with the Alabama arbitration at
Geneva in 1871.
MAY WORK IN DIFFERENT LINES.
II he is the official who is pitted against
our Mr. Olney, the personal side Of this
controversy will be interesting Sir Thomas
Sanderson Is perfectly trained diplomatst.
Mr. OIney is a first-class lawyer, who knew
nothing of diplomacy till he was suddenly
made secretary of state on Mr.. Gresham's
DEATH He will necessarily take a legal view
of the Venezuelan dispute. Sir Thomas San
derson will take diplomatic view, which
includes the legal view and goes beyond it,
adding to 1t the view of the man of the
world and of the negotiation, whose first duty
10 to conduct every controversy to a peaceful
determination II that be possible. Nothing
is so dangerous in public affairs as the purely
legal mind, especially when It belongs to a
man OF great force OF character, self-confl-
say of Mr.. Olney, stubbornness. He will
argue to Lord Salisbury as he would argue to
the supreme court, on straight lines. What
is legally defensible or provable the lawyer
is apt to think universally applicable and
capable of enforcement Moreover, the lawyer
and the dlplomstist use the same word in
different senses. Their minds do not really
meet These are but some Of the difficulties
arising out OF our American habit Of manu-
featuring diplomatists including not only
secretaries OF state, but foreign ministers
and ambassadors, out Of such material as we
happen to have at hand. Diplomacy is pro-
fession, in which training sometimes counts
for more than capacity. There Is, too, in
the foreign Office at London staff, or rather
there are many sets of STATS of trained men;
there are docketed archives, there are records
OF all important cases from the beginning
down to the latest dispatch, there are masses
OF ordered information of every kind relating
to every possible subject of controversy and
men who know where to lay hands on them
and exactly how to use them; men expert In
the preparation of minutes and diplomatic
briefs, precise writers and all the rest Our
State department is in comparison most
one secretary of state complain that he was
at disadvantage for these reasons.
THREE SHREWD MANIPULAToRs.
Sir Thomas Sanderson may be called an
ideal permanent under secretary, exact,
learned, lucid. patient. skllful in all his busl-
ness, He has. OF course, Lord Salisbury over
him. and Lord Salisbury. now that Prince
Bismarck is in retirement, Is probably the
first dplomatist in Europe. Such are the
circumstances in which our government en-
ters upon this Venezuelan discussion. It
ought perhaps to be added that Mr.. Cham
berlain is also TO be reckoned among the
British forces. Mr.. Chamberlain, as colonial
sSCielaIy, mas JurlsulctlOn over British
Guiana, and the first thing We hear OF Mr..
Chamberlain is that he has ordered two
Maxim guns TO the front. With or without
Maxim guns, Mr. Chamberlain is always a
formidable antagonist. He has, moreover,
the advantage OF a considerable acquaintance
with America and American methods. ac-
quired as chief British commissioner Of the
North American Fisheries commission In
1887.
This rather long account of some of the
persons concerned In this Venezuelan nego-
tlation on the British side may serve to sug-
gest that we are not going 10 nave walk
over. The American who relies upon gener-
alties may expect it, but his patriotic expee-
tations will be disappointed. The Monroe
doctrine upon which We rest is not ye, an
accepted part Of International law. Mr..
olney is said to have defined It in his dis
patch to Mr.. Bsyard. and this we are told Is
the hrst attempt to give il definite form
In any dispatch or other Diplomatic ecumunt