New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-05
fBY CABLE TO THE rRrBrs~,nu

Armenia Mr. Henry Norman and DR.. Jameson
are the two men of the week. One has chal-
! lenged the accuracy of Lord Salisburys citations
/ from Lord Aberdeens dispatches, has broken
the force Of his reply to Mr. O!ney has rendered
/ the revision Of the British against Venes-
uela necessary, and has opened the way for the
adjustment Of the whole question by dual or
trpartite board of conciliaton. consistently with
the dignity and honor of both nations. The other
has lighted up the blood-feud between the Eng
! l.sh and Dutch settlers in South Africa by an
exploit of criminal recklessness which would
have clouded the relations of Germany and Great
| Britain If 1t had not been promptly dsavowed
! by Mr. Chamberlain. even with the certainty Of
giving the Beers another decisive victory over
English arms
Mr.. Norman's work peacernaker has been
preceded by several important disclosures In
The Chronicle of facts having direct bear
! ing upon the frontier dispute. One was the pro-
ducton of earlier Schomburgk map, favoring
| the Venezuelan side; tie second the dis
covery OF a body OF evidence tending TO dis
credit the Prtish claim to Point Barima; the
| third the revelation that Lord Granville
eleven years ago. virtually concluded a treaty
with Venezuela providing for arbitration of the
entire dispute the same lines proposed by
! Mr. Olney and that Lord Salisbury Set this
/
these facts Mr.. Norman adds evidence from the
dispatches between Lord Aberdeen and the Ven
ezuean Minister to London nfty-hve years ago,
and also from the correspondence of the British
Consul at Caracas and the Governor OF British
/ Guiana tending t. discredit the Schomburgk
line which Lord Salisbury declared the unalter-
| able boundary Of the minimum OF British rights.
The dispatches produced show that Lord
Aberdeen, at the request Of the Venezuelan
/ Government agreed to remove the posts erected
by Schomburgk. and that the British officials In
! Guiana and Nenez uela acquiesced without stipu-
lating Lord Salisbury has asserted. that the
| territorial claims Of Great Britain should not be
prejudced thereby. Citations from the dis
patches prove that the Schomburgk line. instead
OF being a scientific and we.l-established his
torical frontier. originally proposed and ex-
| planed by Lord Aberdeen a preliminary
measure rough basis of discussion. and that
the removal Of the posts practical evidence
that II was not the definite boundary which Lord
Salisbury represents in his reply to Mr. Olney.
The Foreign Office IS reported to have made an
exhaustive study of the archives at The Hague
! and Madrid. and to have secured a large
amount Of documentary evidence favorIng It's
| views OF the controversy. but this relates mainly
| to the original Dutch claim. based upon imper-
/ feet geography. Its position Is really under
mined by THE Chronicles" evidence that Lord
Saisbury's unalierable frontier Lord Aber-
deems tentative and 2lterable iine and that
Lord Granville agreed to arb!trate the entire
question which Lord Salisbury declared could
not be arbitrated under any conditions. The
Chronicles good work In the interest Of peace
WAS followed up this morning with a practical
suggestion for bringing about an adjustment OF
the whole question by mears of dual or trip
.fln
attention here has been diverted to South Africa.
for the plan Is worthy Of more serious attention
that it will probably receive
The appointment Of the Venezuela Commission
is languidly commented upon by the London
press. the view being taken that it is an Ameri-
can matter that does not concern England It
would meet with a different reception If 1t could
be transformed into commission OF inquiry
with the arbitration idea dscalmed and Eng
land put in p position to present Its case fairly.
Mr. Coudert is scored for accepting seat on
the Commission after calling England the bully
OF the world. and Governor Morton's message
to the New-York Chamber of Commerce meeting
IS hailed sign Of returning reason.
The agreement of the new syndicate to take
the Government loan and the reports that Ger
man bankers will have a share in II do not escape
observation although there is little sympa thetic
comment. Americans must straighten out their
finances themselves, say the bankers: the Eng
lish will not help them by bond issues or any
other means. No new lines Of American
curities can be marketed in London at present
DR. Jamesons raid in the Transvaal has been
the thrilling event of the week and has over
shadowed everything else. If he had reached
Johannes burg. placed himself at the head
Of the revolutonists and dictated terms to
Kruger. he would have been the hero OF South
Africa. and his exploit might have had moment
Gus consequences To Europe; for Germany. owing
to commercial rivalry and ;he ownership OF great
territories in that quarter. would have cham
pioned the cause of the Beers and insisted upon
Englands keeping faith with the Dutch republic.
The Emperor's dispatch Kruger shows this
plainly. Jameson's success might have involved
the necessity Of military intervention on the part
of the British Government in South Africa
against its colonists. policy which would
have divided English opinion at home. and would
have been resented bitterly at the Cape, where
Cecil Rhodes. a powerful leader with boundless
ambition. would have perceived the chance Of
uniting all the colonies and founding inde-
pendent empire.
Jamesons failure has extricated the home Gov
ernment from most difficult position He Is .
prisoner. exposed to trial by court-martial ana
condemnation to death. The whole movement,
which has infurated the colonists. greatly ex-
cited the English people and compelled the Gov
ernment to go to the rescue of the Beers, Is q
disastrous failure. The nrst tdii.gs OF Jameson's
march were brought to Nj Chamberlain In Lon
don midnight train. An interchange OF
telegrams followed fror, Kruger Rhodes and the
High Commissioner. Everybody disclamed re-
sponsbity for the sudden movement OF the
Mr
held a long consultation with Lord Salisbury.
who perceived a war cloud on the German
quarter of the horizon-no larger than mans
hand perhaps but one that would rapidly over.