Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-03
PROBABLE QUARTERS
Venezuelan Commission Offices
Nearly Agreed Upon.
PRELIMINARY WORK TO BE DONE
State Department to Be Drawn
Upon for Assistance.
WORK MUST BE THOROUGH

A search is being made for quarters for
the Venezuelan commission, and 1t is prob
able that 1t will In the end be located in
the building ut the corner Of Pennsylvania
aveLue and Madison place, now occupied
~by the bureau Of American republics.
floor Of the building just below that for
merly occupied by the Venezuelan claims
commission can be made available for this
purpose, IL desired. 1t is not believed that
the work of the commission will be sensi-
bly, delay, by the fact that Justice Brewer
Is obliged to firish the term in the Supreme
Court before giving 1t all of his attention.
A vast deal of preparatory work must be
dcne, which will not require the immediate
particiI alton Of the Justice, and this will
easily occupy all of the time for six CT
eight weeks at least In this line there
must be made a careful collection of all
OF the photography on the subject of the
disputed boundary, and to prepare this
for the consideration of the commissioners
a number CT translators must be put to
york to render the old Dutch and Spanish,
nd in 81 me cases French, into modern
English.
State Department to BE Drawn On.
1t is probable that the State Department
itself must be drawn upon heavily in this
work, for few persons outside Of the de-
partment have made special study of the
detailed history of this great case, and per-
haps the best-informed persons in the de-
rartment are Assistant Secretary Rockhill
and Librarian Allen. Another expert who
may be called into the service of the COM
mission is Lee Phillips, attached to the
Congressional Library, who Is said to be an
authority on the geography Of the Ameri-
facts are coming to light. In the shape of
ancient letters and reports, throwing light
upon the controversy, all. of which will
r-sI l.
1t desires Some OF this matter, 1t is said,
tmpeacheS the. accuracy of the celebrated
Schomburgk line in important essentials.
and thus tends to strengthen the cause of
Venezuela. In one case the documents ap-
pear to establish the fact that Schomburgk
Eever really made survey. He used charts
and maps that were ancient even In his
time, and have been since shown to be
erroneous, to make a compilation upon
which he traced his line. The statement
cabled from Rome to the effect that evil
dence had been discovered in the archives
of the Vatican tending to establish the title
of Venezuela to the disputed tract, before
the Dutch cession to Great Britain, has
been received here with interest and atten-
priests were thoroughly familiar with the
Orinoco basin at a very early period in the
history of the country, and their reports
would have much weight with geographers.
The First Meeting.
The present expectation is that the first
meeting of the Venezuelan boundary COM
mission will be held at the State Depart
nent tomorrow. Saturday. All the men,
bers of the body, with the exception of
Commissioners, White, have sfgniied their
ability to be here by that time. The latter
will not reach the city before Tuesday,
and there Is possibility the first meeting
nay be deferred until that day, though
this Is not likely. The members have not
yet received their commissions. and hence
1t Is not positively known who will be the
chairman, although the belief is that JUS
tice Brewer, having been the first named,
Will have that honor. Justice Brewer has
heretofore met his fellow commissioners,
and he Is anxious that the work which the
commission was appointed to perform, be
commenced at as early date as practica-
BILE. What needs to be determined first by
the commission. the justice thinks, Is dis
what facts are desired, and the body can
then go ahead and prosecute Ats work in
telligently. He realizes what an effect on
the public mind the conclusions reached by
the commissioners will have, what their
significance will be, and how they must
carry conviction. The investigation, he
says, must be a-thorough one or none at
all.
Venennela Notified.
Minister Andrade of Venezuela has noti-
fed his government by cable of the ap-
pointment of the Venezuelan commission
The case of Venezuela Is ready to present
at any time, although the Venezuelan au-
thorities will take no steps toward offering
evidence until the rules governing the COM
mission are announced. So far as is known
Minister Andrade will present the Venezue-
Ian case, as he has a long acquaintance
with the subject, and is. moreover, fluent
advocate in English.
The British authorities will not formally
recognize the commission, but the British
side of the case will probably be secured
through Ambassador Bayard at London.