The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-03
WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
Washington Is Talking About Its
Coming Sessions.
WILL THEY ALL BE HELD IN THIS
COUNTRY!

Venezuela Has Evidence All Ready to
misunderstanding May Ask for De-
lay to Submit Documents-It Will Take
the Commission ManyMonths to Come
to Decision.
Washington, January 2.-The Vene-
zuelan minister cabled his government
this morning of the boundary commits
sion s appointment and the names of its
members The Venezuelan officials IN
Caracas have already assumed the COM
mission would be authorized by Con-
gress and has lost no time in preparing
that country's aide of the controversy
for the commissions confederation. All
their evidence has been complete for
some years.
President Crespo directed Minister An
DIRE to inform him as soon as possible,
whether thescommission will visit Vene-
zuela or hold all it's sessions in this coun-
try. The documents are exceedingly
voluminous and include q large number
of maps, which must be sent to Washing
ton if the commission concludes to sit
here. All these documents are now in
Caracas ready for immediate transmits
sion. They could be presented to the
State Department within ten days of not
ification. that they will require them.
Until that time the work of the commits
sion must be necessarily altogether of a
preliminary character.
If the organization Of the body is per-
fected as now expected, early next week,
some time must elapse before the A meri-
can ministers at The Hague and Madrid,
can secure and transmit copies of the
Dutch and Spanish archives, considered
essential to an impartial adjudication of
opposing claims. Venezuela is prepared
to furnish certified copies of all these doc
uments, that tend 80 prove her rights to
the disputed territory, and perhaps Great
Britain will consent to supply all others.
The probable attitude of the English
government toward the commission,
evokes the keenest curiosity. While it is
the prevailing opinion, it will embrace
| the opportunity tt. state it's side of the
case without agreeing to be bound by
it's findings, it is not believed this can be
done without considerable delay, as it is
understood that although the English
| litbt6 iCpulu ali pOSolOl0 6plu6IlC6 W
support their claim of the entire Orincco
region, they never expected to be COM
PEELED to reduce it. and have not arrang-
ed it in such shape to be promptly sub
mitted. 1t will not be surprising in case
Great Britain should take cognizance of
the appointment of the American CON-
mission, if request should be received
from Lord Salisbury, asking for suffi-
cient delay to enable his government to
prepare documentary proofs. In any
event, an actual discussion of the merits
the controversy can hardly commence
inside of the next two weeks. There is
no possibility of decision for several
months if the Investigation is to made
as thorough as contemplated.
Five members Of the boundary commits
sion have not yet formally notified the
President of their acceptance. There is
no doubt they will servo. The Selection
of President Gilman was largely deter
mined by his prominence as geograph-
er. 1t is interesting to note that Presi-
dent Gilman in his book, takes the
ground that the idea embodied in the
famous Monore doctrine, did not origi
nate with Canning, but was practically
suggested manysyears before his time.