Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-03
sequent efforts to revive it were unavail-

stquout cuortS 10 feVlFo IL were uuANaA
ing.
But Notwithstanding this harsh ac1aon
the Liberal ministry, which soon took the
place OF Salisbury's government, showed q
disposition to recognize the injustice oil
British pretension to sovereignty at the
mouth of the Orinoco. Lord Rosebery, OF
July 20. 1886, wrote in spirit of concilia
ton, proposing boundary line starting
somewhere to the east of the OrinocC
mouth, merely remarking that her majesty
attached special Importance to the posses
sion of the river Guiana, with tho proviso,
however, that the river OriIOcO should bt
entirely free to commerce navigation.
The foregoing detailed review Of the his
tOrical aspects of England's claim appears
to show that Lord Salisbury's present in
sistencc on the Schomburgk line as the
boundary between British Guiana and
Venezuela is merely the development OF
an arbitrary course determined Oh within
the past ten years, in contempt of the
traditions and also the formal record made
in the 72 years from 1914 to 1885,
In justification Of England's present at
titude it is now urged that the territorial
limits have always been in debate; that
she has really claimed all tho time do
minion as far west on the coast rs Point
Barima; that tho various Aberdeen, Gran
willie and Rosebery compromise PROPOSE
tions We're only tentative and couciliatory
and never surrendered Englands real
claim to joint ownership of the Orinoco
mouth, which claim she has ever been
prepared to assert and establish, and that,
in view of her recognized do facto occupa-
finr for fan, of oil b., ,t,xyo M
the Schomburgk limo, she should not be
asked to submit the proprietorship of that
country to arbitration now.
Such is Great Britain's defense. Vene-
zuela's sole reply is that this contention,
while very convenient for the interests OF
England, utterly ignores her own national
rights, which are founded on historical
truths whose great weight nobody in his
senses can doubt.
Ex-Minister Scruggs' Views.
William l.. Scruggs, for many years
United States minister to Brazil, in late
magazine article on the subject, says:
1.-The real issue involved in the present
phase of the controversy between England
and Venezuela is very simple. Briefly
stated, it is about this: Whether, under
preteNts afforded by the incidents of a
boundary dispute which she has persist
emily refused to settle upon any just or
reasonable basis, Great Britain shall be
permitted to dismernber an American re-
public, menace the safety of others ada
cent, and thus to indefinitely extend her
colonial system on this continent, in open
violation of public law and in total disre-
gard Of the principles of the Monroe doc.
trine.
"This language may seem little
strong, coming as it docs from an impair
tial source, but it will be found to be
fully justified by the facts and circum-
stances of the case. 1t is an axiom of in
ternational ethics, sanctioned by general
usage, that all boundary disputes arising
from imperfect surveys or from adverse
constructions of treaty provisions, or
| which turn exclusively upon ascertainable
historical facts Or which involve questions
of prescriptivc right, are. in the last resort,
| properly referable to joint commission
or to outside friendly arbitration. The
present case falls clearly within these pro-
visions and should constitute no excep-
| tion."