Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-01-30
The Venezuelan Question.

Great Britain, growing out of the Nene-
zuelsn boundary question, is from the
Philadelphia Erening Telegraph:
"Our position, as revealed by the Presi-
dents message and the accompanying
correspondence, is just this: In a long
pending controversy between England
and Venezuela respecting boundaries, the
latter country complains that the former
has taken possession of territory to
which she has no title, territory belong
ing to Venezuela through succession to
the rights of Spain.
Without forming judgment in the
case, we have represented to Lord Sails
bury's government that, in view of
Venezuela 5 statements, we desire to have
an impartial inquiry made in order that
il may be shown to our satisfaction, first,
whet her Nenezuela's claim to the terri
tory in question is valid, and, second, il
the territory belongs of right to Vene-
zuela, whether Great Britain has wrong
fully invaded and taken possession there
of. That is our case. and the whole Of IL .
III, as Lord salisbury asserts, the
ground belonged to the British crown
before the republic of Venezuela came
into existence, that settles the dispute.
All Great Britain has to do is to show a
clear title, and that will end the matter
so far we are concerned. To refuse to
show such title, and to attempt to pooh
pooh our request for enlightenment, will
not end it. Neither can it be ended by
undertaking to impose upon our govern
ment the dictum that the Monroe doc
trine is obsolete and of no validity in this
case.
THE one simple question still remains
to be answered, namely: is Great
Britain invading the soil OF Venezuela?
That is the one underlying issue. If Great
Britain is within her own boundaries
he bas tn how / hat wi no
perfectly satisfactory to us. IL she is
trespassing on Venezuela 3 boundaries, she
must stop 1t and withdraw. What We
want and " hat We must have is satisfsc
tory information on this point. Her Bri-
fannie majesty's government refuses to
permit the inquiry necessary to obtain this
information. Such being the case, Presi-
dent Cleveland sends his message to Con-
gress to suggest that, in view of the
vital Importance OF the matter to this
nation, a commission be appointed to OBJ
tain the information we must have, to
the end that We may order our course in
accordance with the facts.
This certainly looks like common
sense. The safety Of our republic and
the welfare of our people we believe to be
dependent on the inviolability OF the
principles embodied in the Monroe doc
trine. We are committed 10 that position
and it is impossible for us to abandon it .
present case SO much the better, but to de-
eide whether it is or not must be our
privilege"
The New York Times says
THE substance OF the case as submitted
by the President may be briefly stated
In he dispute between Great Britain and
Venezuela, which has existed in various
stages OF acuteness for more than half a
century, Great Britain, starting from the
k.s,, Of ha
of her colony OF British Guiana, had at
successive periods claimed a different and
gradually greater extent of territory
THE dispute having reached critical
stage the President communicated to the
British government, in July last, a state
ment OF What the United States regarded
as their just and essential policy in the
premises. This is in effect that no Euro
pean power can be allowed, by the for
chile extension OF its territory on this
continent, or by other means, to extend
its system over, or to Cypress or control.
the destiny Of any independent American
state.
The question in the present case is:
w hat is the boundary of British terri
tory? Whatever it can fairly and fully be
shown to be the United States will respect
it, but it should not be determined arbi-
trariiy by Great Britain alone. II can only
honorably and decisively be determined
y
had urged on Great Britain for many
years. The President requested OF the
British government to be informed
whet her arbitration will be adopted.
THE British government has, with an
elaborate statement OF its case and wit h
an extended discussion Of the principles
advanced and the policy svowed by the
United States, declined to su bmit to ar BIZ
tration, and equally, OF course, denies the
right OF the United States to require it,"
Following is the text OF the so-called
Monroe doctrine as it is to be found in
President Monroes message to Congress
in 1923:
"We owe it, therefore, to candor and to
the amicable relations existing between
the United States and those powers the
allied powers Of Europe] to declare that
we should consider any attempt on their
part to extend their system to any por-
ton Of this hemisphere as dangerous to
our own peace and safety. With the exist
ing colonies or dependencies Of any Eu-
ropean power we have not interfered,
and shall not interfere but with the gov
ernments who have declared their indie
independence we have on great consider
alton and on just principles acknow-
lodged, we could not view any interposi-
tion for the purpose Of expressing them or
controlling in any other manner their
destiny, by any European power in any
other light than as the manifestation Of
an unfriendly disposition toward the
United States"