The record-union., 1896-01-24
MORE TROUBLE ABOUT POSSES
SIONS.

Difficulty is brewing between Brazil
and England relative to the possession
of Trinidad sandsnit- or island, five or
six miles off the Brazilian coast,
not far from Rio de Janeiro. too small
to be dot on the map, and it is in
timated that the Monroe doctrine will
be invoked in order to command the
interest of the United States in the mat
ter. At this time there is not enough
known about the case to say whether
it is one in which we have any concern.
Brazil ought to be able to take care of
the Trinidad case alone. The land is
of small value, but as cable-land-
ing station, or possibly as a coaling sta
ton, it might be of use to one of the
European Powers. Under just what
right England claims the bit Of sand is
not set forth in her behalf as yet, but
it is conceded that she is in possession.
Brazil holds that she gained possession
in the face of her protest, and that
as original grantee from Portugal
she has never lost her right to
the island. The Trinidad spoken
of in the dispatches must not be
confounded with the two large islands
of that name-it is probably a mere
speck, considered too inconsequential
to be mapped on a general atlas.
At the same time the Argentine Re
public reopens her claim to the Falk-
land Islands, stimulated, no doubt, by
the attitude of the United States taken
in the reaffirmation of the Monroe doc
trine. England took possession of the
group forcibly, and later was sup
ported in affirmation of her act by the
United States. But, as in the case Of
Trinidad, there was a protest entered
But the acquiesence of the United
States, it is said, did not go the extent
of recognizing the rightfulness of the
English occupation, but only approved
the act of one of our naval commanders
in breaking up piratical colony on the
islands.
Argentina preferred claim against
the United States. for compensation for
loss of the islands because of the action
of the naval commander. This claim
the United States rejected, and in doing
so the President said that the act of the
naval officer was justified, and by rea-
son of the derelict condition of the
islands before and after the Argentine
occupation the claim for damages was
untenable.
DIT +ba Arro1+;ya Foa,,,,tI;o ,,c,,,
abandons that claim and holds that the
abandonment removes the objection of
the United States, and leaves it free to
apply the Monroe doctrine in the case.
It is evident that in announcing that
doctrine as our policy we must qualify
it so that it shall be applicable in each
case as it arises, if we believe it should
be invoked. There are those who hold
that there should be no such qualifica-
tion, and that we should explicitly and
sweepingly declare that no occupation
whatever shall be had on this hemi-
sphere of any territory by any Euro
pean Power, under any circumstances,
beyond the limits and extent Of right
full occupation secured prior to the
enunciation of the doctrine.
We do not think that this will be the
judgment of the people of the United
States. They will be governed in set
ting the policy of the nation by the bet
ter and juster declaration that we shall
ter and juster declaration that we vii
deem it dangerous to our peace and
safety. This is the qualification in
Senator Davis resolution now pending
and which viii bring the whole subject
scuarely before the public mind.
The Falkland Islands are in the South
Atlantic Ocean, between 81 and So de.
grees south latitude and so and 81 de-
grees south longitude. There are two
large islands of some 5000 square miles
and about 100 small islands of some
1000 square miles and of little value
But the main islands are very valuable
have an English population of some
1000 souls. peaceful. prosperous and
eontented, and engaged wholly in pas
toral pursuits The chief export is
wool.
Davis discovered the islands in 1892;
Hawkins visited them in 1894, and
France took possession of them in 1163
The Spanish soon had them, however
and held them until III: later they
were abandoned and the sovereignty