The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-07
VENEZUELA BLUE BOOK,
THE BRTTISH GOTERN NENT ISSUES
A SETTLEMENT or ITS CASE.
IL Is Claimed That Dutch Settlements In
the Disputed Territory Antedaied
spanish settlements.

tanning nine maps. The book opens with
forty pages, comprising preliminary
statement dealing with the history Of the
territories from 1920 until the issuance Of
| her Mafesty's memorandum 10 Venezuela
i'm March. 1880. The book is divided into
historic periods. from the earliest time 10
1913, from 1913 10 1875, ana from l'55 TO
lsD. After that period references are
made TO various claims and dispatches,
and the report concludes with bFlei
summary.
PURPOSE OF THE BOOK.
The preliminary matter IS summarized
as follows:
1.-THE purpose Of the present statement
| the book says, lis 10 explain In a general
| outline the position Of Great Britain in
| the org-pending dispute with NenezueiA
az regards the boundary between British
/ Guiana and that country. The territories
/ now known as British Guiana and Nene-
| zueia had been discovered before l1-D,
/ Between the date Of their discovery and
! 1913 the Spaniards and the Dutch occu-
pied portions Of this territory, the extent
/ OF such occupation by each country TO
| be a matter of consideration.
"In 1870 the united provinces of the
! Netherlands threw of their allegiance
/ 10 the Spanish crown and war onsued,
which lasted almost uninterruptedly for
seventy years I'm january, 1913. peace
was concluded by the treaty of Munster
| By which Spain acknowledged the inde-
pendencc OF the Netherlands and the two
| countries. respectively, confirmed their
| then possessions on the South American
! Continent. From 1913 10 1876, with the
exception Of the interval between l'7l
and 17s3 the Dutch remained I'm posses
/ sion OF the territory they had occupied
/ f. uH..r "a aN
/ tended their settlement within IT,.
"ln 1895 the territory now known az
| British Guiana was acquired by Grea'
/ Britain That acquisition was recog-
nized and confirmed by treaty con-
! cluded' I'm 1sgi IN 1910 Venezuela re-
/ volted but her Independent existence,
/ apart from the United State OF Colombia,
| by which she was Tor time merged,
/ ala not commence until 1880, and was not
| formally recognized by Spain until 1919.
/ II is therefore held that the following
conclusions have been clearly established;
THE SUMMARY
First. that prior to 1890 the Dutch
had established themselves on the coast
/ Of Guiana.
Second. that prior t0 1906 the Spanards
had established no settlements ln Guiana.
Third That by 1918 the Dutch settle
ments in Guiana extended along the coast
the whole way from the river Maroui
10 the Barma and inland 10 various
/ points i'm the interior uDon the rivers
Essequio. Cuyuni, Pomer0On. Waini. ana
Barima. and tncir trhuiarici.
Fourth. That up TO il3 the only set
uement Of Spaniards I'm Guiana was san
rhome de Guayana. on the south bank
of the Oruic0. originally founded IN 1886,
as 30 is shown on the sketch map
ITf f"II f-Nf
only additional settlements founded ry
Spaniaris in Guiana were those estab-
lshed by the Capuclin missions south of
tine Orinico ln the direction OF the river
Yururi and two villages on the upper
Orinico several hundred miles above San
ThOme de Gu3yaua.
"Sixth. That Dutch occunati0n 20 the
extent above indicated was perfectly well
known in Spain. and that the attempts OF
the Spanish 20 dispOssess the Dutch mad
wholly failed.
Seventh That subsequently to 1896
Great Britain has continuously remained
In possession. and her subjects have oc-
cupied further portions of the territory
10 which the Dutch established the title"
Prom the FIRST settlement 20 iJi',
the report continues "the Dutch appear
10 have been the first. and this state
mcnt is supported by am exhaustive his
tory oi the different attempts ar occu-
ratlon of the disputed territory by the
Dutch, Spanish, and British.
Coming TO the more recent history
OF the dispute the report says.
LAST NEGOTIATIONs
As regards the negotiations instituted
by Venezuela in 1880 and 1893 tor a rc-
newal OF diplomatic relations and set-
tlement Of the boundary dispute it i5
NH..TU
failed of successful results. owng 10 the
persistence OF the Venezuelan nesota-
tors I'm asserting claim to all the teri-
tories as far as the EssequiDo or it5 im-
mediate neighbOrhood.
"The above examination shows that the
main grounds upon which the claim OF
Venezuela Is supposed 90 bee based. 500
FAR as has been pre- reseutcd to Great Bu-
tain at different times during the ~
nfts years. have been as follows.
First the original discovery and The
first exploration of the South American
Continent by Spain, which are clearly
Irrelevant.
Second, the bull OF Pope Alexander VI,
which cannot be- considered as having any
real bearing upon the question.
Third. the allegation that the occupa-
ton of Guiana by the Dutch was Nio-
lati0n OF the treaty Of Munster.
This allegation has been shown TO be
unfcunded.
..Fourth. possession and occupation by
the snanlards or the territory souih or
the OrlnocO. including the rivers Barlma'
Morocco. anl Pomeroon
SPANISH SETTLEMENTS.
1T has been shown that the only Span
lsh settlements there at any time were
San Theme Dc Guyana which was sit
rrIf Of llFfml4g
ana which had been moved from time 90
time higher up the river, and it was
DESTROYED ly tine British and Dutch sue
cessively, and the Capuchin settlements
sIflatel between the OrinncO and tho
TumellmO, as has been previously dcscfiD-
ell
Fifth, that the Dutch had never had
any possessions ner,h OF the tssequilo.
'.This statement has been shown 10 be
equally erroneous as perusal Of he whole
ciplomatic correspondence VIII show tliat
the British Government while insisting
that the just claims of Great Brit3iu
would entitle her 90 q boundary embracing
practically the whole watershed of the
Essequibo. the Cuyuni. the luruari. the
Pomeroon the Nalni, and the Harima. has
been willing 10 agree 10 boundary Win
On those limits which would give Nene-
zuela far more territory than that 70 when
she can show any titie
"From the 81 nmary given OF the fore
going chapter, IL VIII be seen that Great
Britain. while maintaining her Just rights,
has consistently shown a desire TO make
a fair arrangement with Venezuela as 70
boundary. and that the claim OF NeHe-
zueIa that her territory cxends to the
Essequibo has been based upon conten-
tions which are In no way supported by
the facts. and cannot he justified upon
any reasonable ground.
THE ESSEQUIBO BOUNDARY.