Evening star., 1896-11-12
ONLY ON E POINT
A Matter of Detail Unsettled in the
Venezuelan Question.
THE PERSONNEL OF THE COMMISSION
There Will Be Two Distinct Papers
in the Transaction.
AN AGREEMENT AND TREATY

But one point-a natter of detail and no,
of meri;s-remains open between the
United States and Great Britain in the set
tlement of the Venezuelan Question and
the cablegrams passing between Washing
Ton and London give every reason to be-
heNe that this point will be determined
WITHIN a day or two. IL relates TO the
choice OF the four judicial members of the
court OF arbitration, two by this country
and two by Great Britain Ii has been
found as the final stage is reached that il
Is no easy task TO take the lord chief
justice, the solicitor general or other emil
nent judicial functionary from his pres
eht duties of an important character and
charge him with other duties which may
take months or years In their execution
For that reason ii has been considered wise
10 Settle this matter at the outset.
Personnel of the Arbftrutor,.
Present negotiations relate wholly to the
| personnel OF the four judicial arbitrators.
and in no wise effect the merits of the
agreement already reached on the lines
given IN full in these columns The agree
ment covering King Oscar III OF Sweden
is moi open to further conjecture and is
maj, SO far as MIR. Olncy and Sir Julian
faCncefote are concerned. The selection
OF lhe King was made under the same cir
cumstances and conditions that the Sc
lection OF a ruler is ALWAYS made Al
tunes IL has been the president of the
SWISS republic, at other times King Hum
p.ft, but always with the understanding
OF diplomatic usage that the ruler finally
chCsen could name another nominal repre-
sentative. In the present case King Oscar
was the one upon whom the two countries
agreed, and, with the usual limita lions sup-
GeS ted, they will look 10 him or such one
5 dS ne may designate as his representative.
mere Is much amused comment among
those intimately familiar with the facts
over the efforts in some quarters TO make
nice distinctions as 10 the terms of king
oscars service, and to question the sery-
ice Itself, when, in fact this branch of the
subject was removed from the field of dis
cus sion some days ago.
Two Distinct Papers.
Now that the main facts of the agree
ment are known fuller Information is OBJ
tainable as to the form that the compact
has taken. There will be two distinct
papers In the transaction. The first ard
10y far the most important one is in the
nature Of an agreement between ;he United
States and Great Britain on ;he terms 10y
| which the boundary question will be S, L
| tied, and the form of the court of arbitra-
uon- This paper is the one on when The
nlted States and Great Britain came to-
sether. IL is, however, lacking IN the
technical characteristics Of a treaty but in
form is a final agreement, duly signed 10y
the representatives of the Two govern
mentS, on the terms by whicn they Will
settle the differences. Then, because ;he
subject matter of the boundary lies be-
tween Great Britain and NeneZ ela. a Sec
ond paper is made necessary. This will
| toe in the form of a treaty, the contracting
parties being Great Britain and Nen9z dela.
This statement explains the apparent; am
biguity of terms that nave been l.ed in
| regard TO agreement and treaty. Literally,
| the United States and Great Britain have
made an agreement by which the terms or
an arbitration treaty between Great Eri-
rai, anl k.nnzratf1 n ira nd a.b in
strument will relate TO :he other, and Be
a part of a common understanding on the
entire subject. In this way, Venezuela le-
tains her attitude contracting party
shaped by the agreement the United States
| is the instrumentalty by which the fuli
results to he accomplished. and the
United States names two nf the judicial
arbitratorS.