The morning times., 1896-03-21
WHAT THE BLUE BOOK SAYS
Synopsis Of Great Britain's
Venezuelan Claim.
IT BEGINS AS EARLY AS 1910
Instructions to Ministers Regarding
the Boundary Line and the Part
That Spanish Archives Play in the
Dispute-The Discovery of Gold
in the Territory.

The book Gently issuedbyth Venezuelan
government giving e,latricial correspon-
dence on the Venezuelan question has
aroused considerable, interest. 1t gives iii
detail all The essential Features OF the case
from beginning to the present time.
Being too voluminous To publish ver-
baLIni, Times representative soughC
general summary which would develop
the principal points. An interview was had
WIun eA-nInIster A M. ooieiuo, VINO in
answer 10 query as 10 what were the
salient points i'll the correspondence gave
the following summary with comments:
Mr.. Soteldo is well informed on all mat
tiers appertaining 10 Venezuela, and has
been stulenU oil the boundary question for
many years. He is one of the best in
formed men on the Subject.
The book begins Win the instructions
of the British foreign office found i'll the
parliamentary papers of May IL, 1870, i'll
the note addressed by Viscount LeyeSon,
afterward Lord Granville, under Lord Pal
merston, 10 Mr.. James Stevens, of the
colonial office, under Lord John Russell,
dated March Is, 1910, suggesting the
way TO make availa bic the preferred SER
vious OF Robert SchonDurgk, in making
out map of British Guiana, and mark the
boundaries GAINED by Great Britain, but
subject TO the objections ana claims OF the
three neighDor ing countries, Venezuela
being one OF them.
TREATY OF LONDON, 1914
Next comes copy ofrartlcie !, OF the
treaty or Lonuon, August Is, 1914, by
when the colonies OF Berbice, Demerara
and Esequivo are ceded 20 Great Britain by
Holland, such as they We're possessed at
the beginning of the war on the 1st OF
January, 500.
The instructions given to the minister
plenipotentiary OF the republic OF CO.
lombia, in London, in 1922, appear TO
fix explicitly, at that remote period, the
Esequlvo RIVER as the true boundary.
Sir Robert Ker Porter. the British minister
at Caracas. III his dispatch OF May 2S, 1886,
complains OF the want OF lighthouse in the
Venezuelan Point of Barinla, which Schom-
bnrgk includes in his map as British live
years later.
The correspondence OF the minister pleui-
potentiary OF Venezuela, DIR. i lejo Fortique,
demonstrates October 8, 1871, against the
violation of the territory OF the republic by
the erection of a sentry-post, under the
British flag and other acts, in defiance of
the Venezuelan proposition for the appoint
ment OF commissioners 10 represent tile two
governments for fixing the boundaries. No
other reply was given tothat reasonable pro-
position than the sudden intrusion OF the
SChomburgk party.
After repeated complaints, on behalf of
Venezuela, Lord Aberdeen ordered, January
| 10, lS42, the removal OF the Schomburgk
| boundary marks. DR.. Fortique urged again
| and again the necessity of coming to nut ual
! agreement as to the true boundaries. When
| things had finally reached the stage OF
| negotiation he nladea 81 statement January 3 i f.,
| 1914, of the grounds in support of the Yene-
Zuelan view of the case.
SPANS SOVEREIGNTY.
|
universally recognized right of discovery
and first occupancy by Spain, duly conveyed
! bytreatytoF Venezuela. Columbus discovered
! the very Territory now in question, and the
| crown OF Spain granted the same FOR the
purpose of settlements 70 0rdaz, Hortal,
CedenO and other Spanish subjects. Every
| attempt by intruders. Dutch orBTitish. was
opposed and repeiled, particularly in 1895,
| 1865, and other occasions.
| Great Britain atluiesCed by treatiesin II l 3
and 1871 in reference 10 tkrritories, in time
of Charles ii, embracing nearly the whole
! new continent. Several authorities like
Herrera. Father Mutilh yelarde in 1862,
are quoted in support ~ the sovereignty OF
! Spain over all the GuianaS. which were
after wards ssubdivideCf, as theyare tpresent.
j. W. Norie, an Eagilbh authority on
geography. in his chart OF 1928, repre-
sents The country IN 'coH Htroversy as the
Spanish or Colombian Guiana, and reports
| the same as such, lU
A draft of a treaty5was q last concluded
| Lord Aberdeen had introduced clauses
restrictive of the sUvereignty of Venez-
uela, which could not be accepted, and
were rejected by the Venezuelan Con-
gress.
RESUMING THE NEGOTIATIONS
Nothing happened until $50, when, after
a correspondence between Col. Wilson the
81
ezuelan government. il was mutually agreed
at the request of the former, to abstain
from taking any measures in the territory
in dispute, which might be considered as
aggressions
Following Col Wilson'S dispatch comes
sixteen years later, that of the Venezuelan
secretary of state. DR.. Eduardo Calcano
addressed to Lord Derby, on the 18th oi
November, 1876, trying to resume the
boundary negotiation and setting forth
the position OF Venezuela on the subject
reproducing and improving Dr. Fortique's
statements addressed TO Lord A berdeen, IL
1874.
Most pertinent and decisive are the in
structions of Don Jose de Abalos, the
infendente representing, at the capital o
Venezuela, the crown of Spain, IssueC
February 4, 1879, for the government o
Guiana, the very territory now in dispute
worded, in reference TO the limits of th'
Dutch colony of Esequivo, and in the fol
lowing terms: THE aforesaid colony o
Esequivo, and others, which the states
general (Holland now possess on tha
| coast, are generally all i'll the neighborhoot
of the sea, reaching far into the interior o
the country. and for that reason, the lant
situated at the back of the Esequivo, ant
of the Dutch colonies on the east as ia
as French Guiana, and Oh the south, a
far as the River Amazon, are free of
portion of them, and occupied only b
Gentle Indians, and large number O
runaways, negroes, slaves the Dutch, an
also the plantations OF the French Guiana
INSTRUCTIONS TO COMMISSIONERS
The commissioners shall endeavor. ther
fore 10 occupy said lands as being the prof.
erty OF Spain. the first discoverer thereo
and not having been ceded since to, nc
being now occupied by any other powe
none having any right thereto; they sha
advance i'll the occupation on the easter
nrrt. as far as possible until Chey reac
French Guiana, and extending il also, &
far as possible, on the southern side, unit
they reach the boundaries of the crow
, OF Portugal
Still more in point and explicit are III
instructions to Commissioner Don FeIiI
{ Inciarte by Don Jose Calves on behalf
t,e r~Gwu OF Span. The convention sigue
u at AranjueZ. June %, 1891, and quote
by Dr. Calcano. clearly demonstrates II
rights and sovereignty of Venezuela, ;
: h.'Ir OF Swain. on the whole OF the Ce
S ritory it claims. No reply to this note
( given.
The next insertion is that OF January II
1880. by Lord Salisbury, replying to two
Mr.. Jose M. de Rojas, of May 10, and d
clining to treat on the legal merits OF tl
!. question. that it would be very unlikel
o