Evening star., 1896-06-23
THE VENEZUELA BOUNDARY
Negotiations Going Slowly Forward in
This City
Between Sir Julian PauncefOte and
Minister Andrade-The Ar.
rest of Harrison.

Sir Julian Pauncefote, tho British am
bassador, and Minister Andrade Of Ven
ezuela have been negotiating Of late upon
the settlement Of the Uruan affair, and
incidentally toward opening negotiations
on the boundary question proper. There
have been delays due to the month or
more taken in the transmission Of mail
to Caracas and return. 80 that thus far
the negotiations have not proceeded be-
yond an Introductory stage. 1t is the pen
dency Of these negotiations to which Mr..
Curzon, under secretary of foreign affairs.
referred in his public statement before the
house Of commons last Friday. when he
spoke of the Instructions given to Sir Ju-
lian to communicate with Minister An
drade and to the latter's failure thus far
to respond. At first some question was
raised here as to the accuracy of Mr.. Cur
whether Mr.. Andrade had received from
Sir Julian any suggestion toward negotia-
tons on the boundary. 1t appears, how
ever, that these doubts referred to tech
nical details and that In general way
Sir Julian and Mr.. Andrade have been
negotiating ON the lines stated by Mr.. Cur
zon. There appears to be considerable di-
plomatic fencing in the matter just at
present. From the British standpoint Sir
Julian's overtures to Mr. Audrade afford
together. But from the Venezuela stand
point. the British cvertures should con-
sist of definite propositions. instead Of
suggestions that Venezuela should submit
propositions. The Venezuelans say there
is nothing for them to propose except ar
htrarion. which they have proposed time
and again. This involves nice diplomatic
overtures embracing exact propositions.
and meanwhile there Is constant delay on
these technicalites. owing to the time
consumed in the mails between Washingt ton
and Caracas.
The Arrest OF Harrison.
The arrest of Mr.. Harrison, chief of the
British surveying party on the British
Venezuela boundary, has not been commu-
nicated to the officials here. 1t appears to
be conceded, however, that Harrison was
in the wrong If the dispa tches are correct
In stating that he was on the west side of
the Cuyunf river. Mr.. Chamberlain, secre-
tary Of state for the colonies, laid down the
Cuyuni as part Of the provisional boundary,
pending settlement SO that it is said the
British will rot make the contention that
Harrison was right in proceeding beyond
this provisional boundary. This takes from
the incident its serious aspect, as Harrison
is not likely to be supported by the vigor-
Gus British protest that was at first antci-
pated
The Comm In sion.
There ia to be no interruption in the
work Of the Venezuelan commission. AL
though the individual members have sep
arated for the summer months, each will
continue line of work committed to him.
There will be no meetings in Washington
during July. but the commissioners Will
meet for consultation through the summer
at some convenient point. The office here
will remain open, and the chairman Justice
Brewer and secretary, Mr.. Malet-Provost,
Will be here fortnightly to direct the work
INTO its proper channels as it accumulates
Justice Brewer left yesterday for Vermont,
stopping en- route for the Yale exercises.
Justice Alvey will be at Bedford Springs.
Pa, DR.. White at Ithaca, President Gilman
at Northeast Harbor Me. Commissioner
Coudert will go to Europe at an early day.
and while there will visit Rome to make
certain personal investigations of vatican
records, which are involved in the INQUIRY.
Most OF the documentary evidence sub
:nitted by Great Britain and Venezuela is
IN, although the supplementary British blue
book and the third volume of Venezuelan
arch1ve translations are yet to be submit
ted- Until these are received 1t cannot be
determined whether an Investigation of
Spanish records will be necessary.