Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-20
THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE
Speculation of Various Kinds Over the
Venezuelan Question.
Meantime the Commission IL BusiIy
Prosecuting It's Inquiries
on the Subject.

1t Is impossible to secure any confirmation
| from a source entitled to credit of the state
i I.lent that has given rise to so much discus
sion in the British newspapers to the eff
| feet that our government has signified its
willingness to Join in the appointment of a
joint commission with Great Britain to as
| certain the facts as to the Venezuelan
boundary question basis for the settle
! ment of the matter by the ordinary d:plo-
| matte means.
| A careful inspection of the correspond
| ence that has passed between the two gov
| ernments up to this time, however, will, 1t is
| said show clearly that the United States has
| from the first been willing and anxious to
| agree upon any. plan for the settlement of
| the boundary dispute that held out any
| promise of insuring the just treatment Of
venezuela. Very early in the negotiations
| arbitration was suggested by our State De-
partment as basis for the settlement.
This Governments Position.
While it is true that the arbitration con-
templated was between Great Britain and
Venezuela directly. every letter addressed
| by our government to the British govern
ment upon the subject indicated that we
would welcome any honorable method Of
adjusting the controversy. Up to this time
| the only point that we have been particu-
| larly lnsstent upon was that in the settle
ment the question of the title Of the whole
OF the lands claimed by both sides should
be included, and it should not be limited to
| the British claim. Therefore, it stands,
| there is nothing in the record of our govern
ment that forbids the entertainment Of the
proposition for joint commission.
What England Desires.
1t now appears that the British govern
ment is hating only in the hope of secur-
ing stipulation precedent to the appoint
| ment Of the joint commission, to the effect
that provision shall be made for the re-
| tention under the British flag of such parts
| of the territory that may be found eventu-
ally to be in Venezuela are now occu-
pied By British colonists. The only difIl-
| Guilty that suggests itself here in conced-
Ing this demand is a provision of the
Venezuelan constitution that absolutely
| forbidS the alienation of any Venezuelan
| lands 1t is possible, however, that this
obstacle may be overcome, II all parties
are willing otherwise to agree to the prop
oSltiOn.
Our Commission May Settle 1t.
Meanwhile the Venezuelan commission is
proceeding with its work in a manner that
seems to negative the suppositon that 1t
| is not expected to settle the boundary
question itself Every day one or more of
| the members is present at the rooms of
the commission hard at work upon the
work for the consideration of the full
commission al its weekly meetings. a
| large amount of material has been SO col
| lected and it is evident that even if this
| commission should find itself deprived of
! Jurisdiction over the boundary question by
the appointment hereafter of a joint COM
| MISSION the work 1T has already accom-
plished will be of great value to the sue
ceeding commission and TO our govern
lnent in any event save that of the adjust
| ment of the whole question by negotiations
directly between Great Britain and NeneZ-
uela.
Large Collection of Maps.
| In its photographic researches alone the
| commission has distinguished itself. When
| the inquiry was initiated, it was supposed,
| as one of the members of the commission
| expressed it, that there might be abou. two
! dozen maps of the disputed territory to
scan. AS matter Of fact the commission
| has already collected, or is in the way to
acquire, nearly three hundred maps, mod
ern and ancient. Almost daily others are
| being heard of. Members of Congress and
! officials and the general public have been
/ contributors to the collect lion, and some OF
! the ancient charts that have come into the
| hands of the commission are of the quaint
| est character. Apparently every one of the
| old navisators who visited the coast of
Guiana a.; far back the seventeenth cen
| fury has felt called upon to draw his ON
| map of the coast and rivers, and naturally
| there Is the greatest divergence noticeable
among them. All have more or less value
| in the present case but it may be readily
| ccmprehended that the work of compar
| the data and arriving at common agree
| ment upon the salient facts will consume
| much time.
England Willing to Arbitrate.
The London Chronicle announces the &C
| tual situation between Great Britain and the
| United States in connection with the Ven
| ezueian boundary difficulty thus:
Great Britain is resolved to arbitrate the
Venezuelan boundary dispute directly with
| the United States. The method to be adopt
| ed and the details of the settlement are
alone under consideration. The govern
| ment are being urged by persons of inttu-
| ence tC conclude the settlement as speedily
| as possible"
| Harold Frederic, the New York Times
| London correspondent, ca bles get abso-
| lutte authority for the statement that Bal
tours depreciation of debate on the Ven
J ezuean matter does not at all signify tina t
| negotiations are in a difficult, not to say
| dangerous, stage. With q solitary eXcep-
| ton, the cabinet is agreed on the advisable
! ity of getting the American views, and of
| ton scheme well which the two countries
can agree on to their mutual advantage.
| 1t happens, however, that the exception
| Is Lord Salisbury, who is annoyed at the
| eratutous way in which all the others, in
| Guiding his nephew, Balfour, have been as
| Stunning publicly that his original position is
| unite nable. 1t will require some added argu-
| ment to reconcile him tc this view, but there
| Is no real doubt that this will be done and
| that the whole question will be settled salts
| factcr!y.