The San Francisco call., 1896-03-10
Evident That Diplomats Are
Ready to Pose as Anxious
Curia.
THREE COPIES SENT OVER.
But Evidence Relating to Disputed
Territory Remains in Oiney's
Possession.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 9.-Four
copies of theVenezueIan Blue Book reached
Washington yesterday, having been sent
in advance of their publication in England.
One came to Sir Julian Pauncefote, ex-
clusively for his information and not, as
was expected, to be presented by him to
the Venezuelan Commission as the British
case. The other three copies came to the
State Department from Embassador
Bayard, to whom they were given by
Lord Salisbury over week ago, it is sup
posed, simply as an act of personal cour-
tesy to tie ambassador. as the State
Department officials are most mysterious
about the matter and deny all knowledge
of the book.
In the meantime the Venezuelan Com
missionhas to depend for information on
the subject to the full abstract cabed to
the United Press last Friday. The copy of
the document received at the British
embassy is in appearance a very imposing
affair with its accompanying maps and is
evidently prepared with the direct end in
view Of the consideration by such judicial
body as is constituted in President Ceve-
lands commission.
Each chapter dealing with the various
phases of the question closes with con-
else statement of what is demonstrated
and the entire work seems to have been
accom- plished in most painstaking, care
full manner. Those who have seen it say
undoubtedly it is an exhaustive statement
of Great Britain claim and that it could
not be extended in any particular if Eng
land had consented to arbitration and had
expressed q willingness to let her case
stand or fall on the evidence therein pre-
sented.
The fact that but one copy of the Blue
Book was sent to the British Embassador
here, who alone would be the vehicle of
communication for such document to
the United States Government, and the
extreme reticence of the State Department
regarding the three copies which were
transmitted unofficially by Secretary Bay
ard confirms the impression that England,
while declining to recognize in any direct
manner the creation by President Cleve-
land of a commission to designate the
true divisional line, would in Justice
Brewers words in his letter to Secretary
Olney inviting information from the two
governments, ''act the part of an amicus
curia" and be willing to throw light upon
difficult and complex matters of fact. To
that request, which the commission made
January Is, Venezuela responded by for
mally appointing counsel and promising
all the evidence obtainable.
Lord Salisbury's acquiescence, accord
ing to best reports, was confined to per-
sonal assurances to Mr.. Bayard that Great
80 -,
the information of Parliament and that
the entire world would then be in posses
sion OF every argument upon which
England's claim to the territory was based.
AS appears from the, United Press cable
grams the preliminary edition of the Blue
Book on Friday, when it was delivered to
Parliament, was totally inadequate to
supply the demand, not more than a hun
dred copies being available for distribu-
ton. This may account for only one copy
being forwarded to Sir Julian Pauncefote
and only three to Secretary Olney. Some
speculation has been set afioat as to what
Secretary Olney intends to do with his
copies.
Naturally he would wish to keep one for
his own information, as it replies more
fully to his famous dispatch of July 2 last
than did Lord Salisbury in his two re-
ioinders of November 26. Another copy
might go the President informally, merely
as matter of interesting literature, but
the destination of the remaining copy is
not yet permitted to be guessed at
The Venezuelan Commission, which
would under ordinary circumstances be
thought to be the most appreciative re-
pository for the third copy, claims to be
utterly dependent upon the United Press
cablegrams for information regarding the
contents of the Blue Book. Although in
tended more for the consideration of the
commission, whose appointment brought
it forth, than perhaps for any other body,
all the copies but one now in this country
are apparently shrouded in the most i'm
penetrable mystery. The hope, however.
is held ont by those in authority that the
next official mail from London, arriving
in Washington next Saturday, will bring
additional copies and that the commission
may then be able informally to get the
exact terms of the British argument, the
evidence in all likelihood having already
been discovered through the commits
sioner's laborers in the past two months.
In the meantime the Venezuelan side of
the case has not been presented, nor is it
positively known that it has been COM
pleted. although ex-Minister Scrugg has
been introduced officially to the commits
sion as counsel for Venezuela.