Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-01-22
THE VENEZUELAN MATTER.
Hoping For Peace; but Quietly Preparing
For War.

For War.
Although on account of the concilia-
tory tone of the British press last week
and the week before, there was reason
to believe that the threatened trouble
between the United States and Great
Britain over the Venezuela boundary
was at an end, there is no doubt of the
fact that there is still more or less war
fever afoat in the atmosphere. There
is an evident feeling of distrust both in
London and Washington, and although
the chances in favor of peaceable
settlement of the difficulty are undoubt-
edly good, the matter is not likely to
be cleared up except at the end of a
great deal more bluster, diplomacy,
and probably some bulldozing.
There is now under consideration in
the senate a resolution providing for
reassertion of the Monroe doctrine on
much wider scope. The resolution
declares it to be inimical to the peace
and safety to the United States for any
foreign government to acquire more
territory on either of the American
continents by force, grant, purchase or
otherwise. Some ofthe London papers
say that Great Britain will not accept
such doctrine, and its passage will be
looked upon as virtual declaration of
war. The resolution is meeting with
some opposition in the senate but that
it will be eventually passed, there
seems to be little reason to doubt.
There has been much speculation as
to the destination of the powerful Brit
ish war fleet recently assembled at
Portsmouth, and which was scheduled
to sail from Spithead yesterday under
sealed orders. Several dispatches from
London have had it that the fleet
would sail for the West Indies, and
would probably drop anchor off Ber-
muda, within easy reach of the coast of
Venezuela. This, however, has been
authoritatively denied by the British
admiralty department, which says that
the fleet is not destined for American
waters.
In the meantime, the war and navy
departments at Washington are not
idle. Both are making extensive prep
arations to meet any emergency of
whatever nature. All of the old moni-
tors that were on hand at the close of
the war, or completed soon after,
are now being examined by naval ex-
perts with view to ascertaining what
will be required to put them in first
class fighting trim, and retired naval
officers of high rank have been asked
to confer with the secretary of the
navy in regard to the most speedy and
effective means of strengthening the
defenses of American seaports.
The war department is overhauling
the government armories, and has
decided to call in the stock of guns
with which the national guard is now
armed and supply, instead, new Spring
field rifles, of which the government
has on hand about 100000, consider
ably more than enough for the purpose
indicated. Many of the guns with
which the national guard is now armed,
are worn out, and the special object of
making the change is to secure unifor-
nifty not only in arms but also in am
munition. Orders have been given for
immense supplies of cartridges, and,
taken all together there is no doubt
that the army and navy will soon be
on an effective footing for war.
AS yet, the Venezuelan commission
has taken no action that seems to be
of special interest. In fact, the high
sources of news on both sides seem to
to be closed to the public. Only such
information as is being unearthed by
the newspapers gets out, and as the
newspapers all feel bound to print
something or other, whether they
know what they are talking about or
not, it is often very difficult to deter
mine just how much credence to give
to some Of the reports. Under the
circumstances, it is better to just con-
slider that while the situation is charg-
ed with danger of war, the chances are
in favor of a peaceable solution of the
whole trouble. The other alternative,
however, is still easily possible.
Buried Alive.