Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-02-14

compelled the Dutch to cede her portion
of Guiana. This colony is known rs Brit
ish Guiana 1t adjoins Venezuela on the
south. The boundary line Of this province
has long been in dispute The British
have occupied the disputed territory, and
British miners and oolonizers have seized
on the fertile fields and gold mines there.
Failing to get any satisfaction from
England after various requests to vacate
the territory, Venezuela appealed to the
United States. For several years our only
reply to this appeal was In the form Of
mild suggestions to England. These sug-
gestions had little effect.
A little stronger stand was taken in our
next communication OH the subject. Eng
land was asked. to submit the question Of
the boundary dispute to arbitration. Lord
Salisbury's recent answer to this was that
Great ,Fsr::::a:n had nothing to arbitrate.
President Cleveland's message to con-
gress, which has caused all the war talk,
proposes that commission be appointed
to settle the question. Then, II England
"a found to he encroaching on Venezuelan
territory, she will either have to give up
and get out or light, provided Uncle Sam
does not, back down, and there is not much
danger Of his doing that
American view Of 1t, Is one Of boundary
have to turn back several pages Of history
and search many musty records.
49,; rarely, ! TERRITORIAL controvsrsy.~
- Tho dispute turns wholly upon the
strong demand made. by our government
that tthe. territorial controversy I'm its en-
&irety" shall be submitted toimpartial ar
bitration. The outline which the presi-
dent gives In his annual niessago Of Score
tary Olney's July dispatch to ambassador
Bayard says with great formality that our
government Insists on arbitration as.to The
whole sot tho territory, and In tho most
Significant words England's' assumption
that q portion Of tho territory already b.
longs to her, and therefore cannot be put
% the risk Of arbitration, u utterly ~
3seted: - ~.
IN the Language Of tho message, "ths
resort to such arbitration should include
the whole CONTROVERSY and y not satisfied ~
II ono Of tho powers concerned Ii permitted
TO draw m arbitrary line through tho ter
xitory. IN debate and e declare that II VII
submit y s:tit s. .tton i only the portion "
The "arbitrary iine'' referred to in the
.
bufgk line, beginning 1t the mouth Of tho
Orinooo river and pursuing an irregular
course southwark to the Brazilian frontier.
This Is the line that Lord Salisbury now
insists upon a. the extreme possible bound
ary of the Venezuelan republic, and he
refuses absolutely to submit to arbitration
any Of the territory east Of it, As matter
of fact, England Is now and has been for
more than ten years in full control Of all
the country t,.st Of the Schomburgk. But
Venezuela asserts that throughout that
region, extending as far as the Essequibo
river, the British are mere usurpers, and
the United States substantially Endorses
the assertion by refusing to sanction Brit
ish occupation there unless the English
title can be established by impartial arbi-
tration.
10 fully understand the significance of
our governments position respecting the
merits Of the ase and its support Of Vene-
soela' demand for arbitration Of the terri
horial question ''in its entirety" 1t is neo-
essary to 60 back for . period Of about
On Feb. II, 1888, Mr.. Bayard, then SEQ
iretazy Of state, addressed to Minister
Phelps In London long communication
regarding recent acts Of BritiiH aggression
lin Venezuelan territory. In IL hs sid,
"The government ,of. the United States
hes hitherto taken an earnest and friendly
Interest In tho question Of boundaries %
|lodi1 In diSput6 hotWsSn Great Britain and
vsnesuela, and % fAf ~ IT, didntezsstsd
'eounsels were admissible, has sdyomesd