The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-07
VENEZUELAN BLUE BOOK.
VOIuminOus Document Issued by
Great Britain.
RELATIVE TO THE FAMOUS
BOUNDARY DISPUTE.

Venezue1a's Claims Considered in Detail.
and Answer Made to Each-Compre-
hensive History of the Trouble from
the Early Settlement of tile Country
Claims that the Little Nation Cannot
Sustain Its Case.
London. March Sit is expected that
the Venezuelan Blue Book, entitled
Documents and correspondence relating
to the question of the boundary of Guiana
and Venezuela" will be issued by the
government tonight. The volume con-
sists of 443 folio pages with separate
book containing nine maps. The book
opens with a preliminary statement deal
ing with the history of the territories
from 1920 until the issuance Of Her Maj
esty's Memorandum to Venezuela" in
March 1890 The statement concludes:
"The above examination shows that the
main grounds upon which the claim Of
Venezuela is supposed to be ba sed. as far
as it has been presented to Great Britain
at different times during the last fifty
years, have been as follows:
First Original discovery and first ex-
| ploration of the South American Conti-
| nent by Spain, which are clearly irrele-
want.
Sacond-Bull of Pope Alexander VI.
which cannot be, considered as having
any real bearing on the question.
| Third-Allegation that the occupation
of Guiana by the Dutch was violation
of the treaty OF Munster. This allega-
tion has been shown to be unfounded.
Fourth-The possession and occupation
/ by the Spaniards OF the territory south of
the Orinoco including the rivers Barima,
Morocco and Polneroon. 1t has been shown
/ that the only Spanish settlements there
at any time were San Thome de Guyana
on the south bank of the Orinoco, which
has been moved from time to time, high
er up the river. as it was desired by the
British and Dutch SUCCESSFULLY, and the
Capuchin settlements, situated between
| the Orinoco and the Umerino, as previ-
ouSly desc ribed.
| Fifth-That the Dutch never had any
possessions north of the Essequibo. This
| statement has been shown to be equally
erroneous. as the perusal of the whole
| diplomatic correspondence will show
that the British government, while in
sisting that the just claims of Great Bri-
tain would entiGle her to a boundary
practically EN- bracing the whole water
shed of the Essequb, Cuyuni, Yuruari
| p omercon, Waini and the Barima had
been willing to agree to the boundary
within those slimits, which would give
Venezuela far more territory than that
| to which she can show any title.
| From the summary given of the fore
going chapter it will be seen that Great
Britain, while maintaining her. just
rights, has consistently shown desire to
make fair arrangement with Venezuela
and that the claim of Venezuela that her
territory extends to the Essequibo based
upon contentious which are in no way
supported by facts, cannot be justified
upon any reasona BILE grounds
| Besides the above statement, the re-
| port holds that the following concl usions
are clearly established,
First, prior to 1890. the Dutch estab-
lished themselves on the coast Of Guiana.
Second-Prior to 1896 the Spaniards es-
| tablishsd no settlements in Guiana.
| Thirdly 1913 the Dutch settlements
in Guiana extended along the coast the
whole way from the river Maroni to Ba-
rima, and inland to various points in
the interior upon the rivers Essebquibo,
Cuyuni, Pomeroon. Waini and Barima
and their tri ibutaries.
| Fourth-Up to 1928 the only settlement
of the Spaniards in Guiana was San
Thome de Gunyana. on the south bank
of the Orinocc, originally founded in
1896, at the site shown on the sketch map.
Fifth-Between 1898 ana 1895, the only
additional sttlements founded by the
Spaniards in Guiana were those estab-
lished by the Capuchin missions
south Of the Orinoco in the direction of
| the River Yurari and two villages on the
| upper Orinoco several hundred miles
above San Thome de Guyana.
Sixth-The Dutch occupation to the ex-
to MT indicated is perfectly we'll known In
Spain and the attempts Of the Spanish
to dispossess the Dutch wholly failed.
Subsequently to 1896, Great Britain
continuously remained in poss ssion and
her subjects have occupied further por-
tions of the territory to which the Dutch
established title.
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