Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-02-14
MAP SHOWING THE DISPUTED TERRITORY.

recognize that forcible occupation gives
Great Britain any title to territory claimed
by Venezuela, whether west Or east Of the
arbitrary Schomburgk line, ahd insists
that the legitimate ownership 81 the terri
tory, lin lis entirety, can be decided only
by arbitration on The basis q "historioal
fact" ''@~' -. % -: T:ss1ls ~
All considerations Of historical fact In
the Venezuelan controversy hinge upon
one simple question, What were, respec-
lively, the geographical limits Of the vene-
zuelan republic when 1t declared its indie
pendence Of Spain In 1910 and of British
Guiana when England acquired that COL
ony by treaty from Holland in 1914!
There 10 no other question involved, for
England has not since 1914 added one foot
Of territory to her original British Guiana
colony by any process which can come
within the oognizanos Of the laws of ma
tiOns.
From 1914 to 1S41 England never init
mated In the slightest manner that she
deemed herself entitled to any important
portion of the Atlantic coast west Of tho
Essequibo river. Most interesting and
valuable evidence is afforded by long
note written on May 80, 1885, by Sir Rob-
ert Ker Porter, British charge d'anaires at
Caracas, to tho Venezuelan authorities,
petitioning them with great earnestness
20 erect q lighthouse ct Point Barima and
otherwise provide for safer navigation at
the grand mouth Of tho Oriuoco. Mr..
Porter thus conceded that Point BafimA
and the Orinooo mouth were exclusively
within the jurisdiction Of the Venezuelan
governments, and the British foreign ONCE
never took occasion to repudiate his action
In that matter until some so years later,
aftsr, 1t had become the fixed policy Of tho
London cabinet to hold Point Barima and
tho mouth Of the Orinoco by force Of arms
and without admitting arbitration.
oas4a 4 The sshonbursk 1ins.
The schomburgk line, with it, Initial
point at tho center of tho Orlnooo mouth,
was traced in 1871 by Sir Robert sohom-
burgk, an English engineer. In surveying
u he acted entirely In tho interests Of tho
Britain government and without the con-
' jient Or even the knowledge Of Venezuela.
Great excitement was ooeasioned In the re-
public when IL became known what
Schomburgk had done, and that he had
cot up posts to indicate Britain dominion.
A prompt femonstianoe was made, and
Lord Aberdeen, who was ,then prime min;
lister Of England, answered, on Dec. II,
1s41, that the marks placed by Mr.. schom-
burgk at some points Of the country which
he had surveyed were simply preliminary
step, subject to future discussion between
the two governments; that they were tho
only tangible means Of preparing to dis.
'ouss tho question Of limits with the gov
eminent Of Venezuela; that they were
placed with that express object and not,
as the government of Venezuela seemed
to fear 1t, with the intention of indicating
dominion or empire on the part Of Great
Britain. Soon afterward Lord Aberdeen
ordered that all of Sohomburgk's posts
should be removed.
Three years later (1S44) Lord Aberdeen
Voluntarily proposed to Senior Forteque,
Venezuelan plenipotentiary In England, a
boundary line beginning on the coast at
the mouth of the river Morocco, which
empties into the ocean some distance to
the westward of the Essequibo.
On Nov. II, 1850, Mr.. Belford Hinton
Wilson, charge d'a6aires Of Great Britain
In Venezuela, sent to the Venezuelan gov
eminent . note specifically contradicting
. rumor that England intended claiming
! Venezuelan Guiana and adding: - The
venexuelan government In Justice to Great
Britain cannot mistrust for moment the
sincerity of the formal declaration which
10 now made in the name and BY the Ok.
pres order of her rnajesty's government
that Great Britain has no intention to o.
soupy Or en6roach upon the territory In dis
puts. Therefore tho Venezuelan govern
msnt, In IN equal spirit Of good faith and
friendshin cannot refuse 70 make simi-