The Forrest City times., 1896-10-02
THE VENEZUELA CASE.
The Commissions Report SAid to
 Be Practically Made Up.
eRGLAaD'S CLAIMS ARE ILL-FOUADED.
The Administration Desirous of Closing Up the Matter Before March Next-The Course That is
 Open for England.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. IA Washington special to the Globe Democrat says:
 The report of the Venezuelan com mission is practically completed, copies of few documents of The Hague being all that are necessary to render the examina tion absolutely thorough. The report, according to the law creating the commission. is to be made to the president, and there is no doubt that he and Secretary 0lney will have it for consideration several weeks before congress meets.
 "lt can be stated positively that the report will be convincing that En- glands claims are ill-founded This being the case, interest naturally arises as to what course the president and Secretary Olney will pursue. The opin- ion is expressed on some hands that the president will. without delay. sub init the report to congress, with strong message recommending that the United State enforce its findings. From man who is semi-otfici fly interested in the Venezuelan side of the controversy, and who is in a position to keep well posted, it is learned that the administration will most likely pursue more diplomatic course, and one which is better cal culated to settle the matter without resort to unnecessary friction and probably war between the two na- tions.
 This man informed the core spondent that the course to be pursued by the administration was this: Hav-
 ing ascertained, after a most ex- haustive investigation, that En- glands claims to the terri tory in dispute could not be sus- tained by evidence, the result of the commissions research would be made known to the British foreign office be- fore it was communicated to congress- At the same time notification would be given that unless Great Britain could disprove the accuracy of the American commissions findings, the American congress would call upon Great Britain to evacuate Venezuelan territory which it was occupying without right. This would give England an opportunity to settle with Venezuela without the ignominy of an informal backdown to the United States, in which event the president and congress would take no action. Lord Salisbury will, it is expected, play for delay, hoping that if the matter can be postponed until the in- coming of a new administratio the chances of Great Britain coming out of the difficulty better would be improved, his idea being that new administration would be more yielding than the administra- tion which started the muss and had its reputati tion to sustain. Neither the president nor Secretary Olney, how ever, is desirous of leaving the settle ment of the matter over to their sue cessors. Having raised the issue they wish to fight it out .to a finish, so that it can not be said that they shirked any responsibility for the outcome This being the disposi- ton of the administration, Lord Salisbury will find it difficult to secure any unreasonable delay. The settle ment of the controversy, therefore can be looked for before the 4th of March. The proba bilities of peaceful settle ment are excellent, because England can better afford to abandon her un- just claims than to go to war on an issue upon which the civilized world can be convinced that she was in the wrong.