Evening star., 1896-01-04
WHEN ENGLAND YIELDED
Removed Her Posts From the Schomburek
Line.
What fs Said in London of the Re-
Gently Published Lord Aber-
deem Letters.

A London dispatch, January 3. saws: The
dispatch to the Daily Chronicle from its
special commissioner at Washington. giving
hitherto unpublished correspondence be-
tween the governments of Great Britain and
Venezuela during the period between No
vember, 1S40 when Robert Schomburgk was
appointed to survey the western territory
OF British Guiana, and April, 1912, when
Great Britain finally removed the boundary
posts which he had set at various points
In that territory to form the so-called
Schomburgk line, is attracting much at
tention here.
The Chronicle calls 1t "momentous dis
patch and heads it "A New Face to the
Controversy; the Schomburgk Line Useless.
Some Startling Dispatches"
A foreign Office official, speaking of these
dispatches, in conversation with a repre-
sentative of the Associated Press, this af-
ternoon. said that the correspondence
quoted was correct so far as it goes"
He added But there is much which is
unpublished. especially the letters Of Senior
Fortique the Venezuelan minister to Great
Britain at the time). These give differ
ent light upon the whole matter. We might
for instance, take portions of Secretary
Olneys document and transform it into
statement which would be entirely an
tagonistic to the American side of the
question"
Unpublished Correspondence.
The dispatch of the Washington corre-
spondent of the London Chronicle gave por-
tions Of unpublished correspondence be-
tween Venezuela and Great Britain regard
ing the sentry pests established by Sir Rob-
ert Schomburgk on the line marked out by
him.
Lord Aberdeen replied to venezuela's
complaint that the derarcation so made
was merely a preliminary measure, open to
future discussion between Great Britain
and Venez, ella.
Senor Fortique, for Venezuela, replied
that Sir Robert Schomburgk had planted
at the mouth of the Orinoco river several
posts. He had also raised the British flag
with a show of force, and performed other
acts Of dominion in Venezuela. Extreme
courtesy alone prevented Venezuela from
forcibly expelling him from the country
Lord Aberdeen replied, confirming his
previous statement, and adding that much
unnecessary inconvenience would result
from the removal of the posts, as they
would afford the only tangible means by
which her majesty's government could be
prepared to discuss the question of bounda-
ries with Venezuela. The posts were erect
ed for that express purpose, and not,
the Venezuelan government appeared to
apprehen1, as Indications of dominion and
empire on the part of Great Britain.
Subsequently, March, 1912, Henry Light
governor OF Guiana, sent a note to Daniel
OLeary, British consul at Caracas, stating
that the colonial secretary had ordered the
governor to remove the landmarks.
The Chronicle remarks: "If the above
documents are genuine, and their source
excludes suspicion, the Schomburgk line is
proved worthless as basis OF any terri
torial limit whatever
Commenting editorally on the subject,
the Chronicle says:
CLEARLY there can now be no question re-
gardihg the Schomburgk line as a ramrod
thrust between Guiana and Venezuela. In
word, England and the United States
have a way out. We look to the statesmen
on both sides to enlarge it until there is
found complete escape from situation of
the utmost peril"
Cabling later the Chronicles special COM
missioner in Washington adds:
I'm reply to the criticism that the Aber-
deem dispatches 1 cabled yesterday were
not new, I can only say that did my best
their unpublic character, and failed to
trace them anywhere here. They were un-
known in detail to those here whose spe-
cial duty it is to be acquainted with the
details Of the dispute, obviously unknown
to you, and unknown to the American cor
old does not affect their character one jot
or the unavoidable conclusions from them
Regarding the criticism that only parts of
them We're given by me, the documents be-
fore me professed to be complete, and
oabled every salient word. OF course IT
is out of my power to discover whether
they We're complete. The retort is almost
too obvious that if they constitute mis-
representation. let the foreign Office pub
lish them complete. Concerning the charge
that my dispatches are anti-English, If 1
Understand it Alright 1 leave my friends
ylrrh1i ch ha6 nkC TO dnfan