The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-11-13
TIE VENEZUELAN BOUNDARY

finally settled Oh Tuesday by the
conclusion of the treaty in Wash
ington, Sir Julian Paunceforte re-
presenting England and Secretary
Olney the United States. Oscar
the second, King OF Norway and
Sweden has been chosen by this
treaty as the fifth or final arbitra-
tor. The board of Arbitration
will be composed Of five members,
Of the remaining four to be settled
two will be designated by the Lord
Chief Justice of England, and two
by the Chief Justice of the
United States.
King Oscar the Second is a man
we'll fitted for this di fficult task,
combining the qualities Of fairness,
great ability, and judicial mind.
The final submission of this
Venezuelan dispute to arbitration
is a victory for civilization. This
question has been slnouldering for
over forty years, and at no time
has it assumed such alarming
proportions as during the past year,
threatening to plunge England
and the United States into war.
Doubtless President Cleveland's
message to Congress last Decem-
Der, which created so much eN-
element both in this country and
in England, had much to do with
bringing about the prompt sub
mission Of this question to arbl-
tration, and thus has accomplish
ed great good.
Besides the important feature of
the treaty, namely, that of deslg-
mating the person who shall have
the deciding vote, there are several
other essential things determined.
Fifty years of actual, open and
continuous possession Of any part
of the land in dispute is to give
absolute title to the occupant by
"prcscription." Apart from this
limitation, the whole of the Nenc-
zuelan question lies open for the
decision of the International
Board. In this undetermined
part is included the mouth of the
great Orinoco river on both sides
and the richest gold mines Of
South America. The questions
to be decided will involve vast
monetary interests, and this will
be the most important decision
rendered since the great Congress
of Vienna which met nearly half a
century ago.
The English press is unanimous
in endorsing the action of England
and the United States in speedily
submitting this matter for final
and amicable settlement.
1t is interesting at this time to
recall the sentiment expressed by
the Lord Chief Justice of England
in his able address before the
American Bar Association at
Saratoga last summer. 1t was the
forerunner and a prophecy of what
has been fulfilled within the past
few days.
England and the United States,
recognized as the two foremost ma
tions of the globe by their action
have entered their most earnest
protest against needless bloodshed
and disastrous wars. 1t marks a
great stride forward, and will go
down in history as one ofthe COM
ing events of the closing half of
the present century.
The Commission appointed by
President Cleveland to look into
the Venezuelan matter may now
seem, in the light ofrecent events,
to have been Of no value; but such
is not the case. The information
that has been gathered with diff
Guilty during the past six months
by this commission will be Of
great value in facilitating the
work of the International Board,
and it is not at all improbable
that two of the arbitrators will be
selected from the members Of the
commission.
This Board OF Arbitration will
Ice pre-emincntly court ofequity
governed by no ironclad prece-
dents. The moral us we'll as the
legal aspects Of the questions pre-
sentcd will be given due consider
alton. J he satisfactory determi-
nation of this veXed question will
be another step toward the estab-
lishment in the near future of II
permanent International Court,
where nations may appear rs
parties litigant to have their
rights pcaceably and speedily de-
termined.
The submission Of the boundary
dispute to arbitration is II signal
victory for Venezuela. She has been
asking for this for nearly half ii
century, but has heretofore been
turned aside by responses as
dubious as those Of the Delphic