The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-03
UNCLE SAM NEUTRAL
Position Of the Government During
the Investigation.
THE COURSE OF PROCEDURE
Judge Brewer Outlines the Proba-
BILE Modus OperandI-The New
York Stock Exchange Anx-
ious for Arbitration.

lively stAteo In behalf of the adminis-
tration that the Venezuelan commits
sion will be absolute master of its own
procedure. fixing the time and place of
Its meetings and determining for IT.
self whether or not is shall visit for
eign countries, what class of evidence
may be taken into consideration. and
how the interested governments may
be represented before the tribunal. This
independence of action Is deemed
necessary to secure to the commissions
nndings that degree of weight and re-
spect among other nations that can
be attained only through the knowl-
edge that the body is free from any
restraint or obligation to the United
States government Our government
will occupy the status of exact neu-
trality in the proceedings.
The state department will lend such
assistance as may be required to ia
cilitate the work of the commission in
procuring transportation for 1t on a
United States warship, IL that is de-
sired, and In supplying any records in
its possession that may be called for;
but it will not allow itself to be placed
in the position of taking sides as to
the merits of the controversy between
Great Britain and Venezuela; IL will
not undertake to present the Venez-
uelan case, nor will IL even endeavor
to offset any evidence that leans to-
ward the British contention. There
fore the various suggestions that have
been made to the department by in
dividuals in this country as to where
evidence can be secured have been ig-
nored. Such matter Is regarded as
proper for the consideration of the
commission. but is not for the state
department 1t Is pointed out that In
this attitude the department is exactly
consistent with its record in the past.
From the beginning of the negotia-
tions with Great Britain touching the
Venezuelan boundary, the United
States has expressly refrained from
committing itself to a recognition of
the justice of venezuelas claim, and
has limited itself strictly to the con-
tention that this was q proper matter
for settlement by arbitration. More
over. the attitude which the depart
ment has assumed towards the com
mission itself is regarded as a suffi-
cient negative 10 the assumption in
Europe that the United States govern
ment purposed constituting itself the
arbitrar In this dispute. for the COM
mission will be as independent of the
United States government as IL will be
of any other government
Justice Brewer. who heads the ven-
ezuelan commission, was seen at his
residence to-day by a reporter of the
associated press. The Justice had not
yet received official notification OF his
and In the absence of
this he was in some doubt as TO his
course in accepting the unofficial an
and communicating with
the executive authorities. Until this
is done he is loath to discuss the COM
missions plans. In response to in
quiries Mr.. Brewer said he had no
doubt the sessions of the commission
would be held In Washington, as 1t
over, much of the documentary evil
dence, maps and the like. which would
initiate the inquiry. were here. For
the present, the justice will continue
his work on the supreme bench as 1t Is
felt that the preliminar1es of the or
and the assembling of the
evidence may continue through the
present month, leaving the more seri-
Gus work of examination by the COM
mission to begin about Feb. !.
Justice Brewer. when asked II the
was likely to go abroad to
pursue its investigation. said 1t might.
but the state department had prepared
certain features of evidence regarded
as essential, and which would serve as
a groundwork for the investigation. In
that event, doubtless, this would be
gone over, and the commission would
determine what further steps were re-
uuired to ascertain the facts. 1t might
be that Venezuela and England would
be asked to present their respective
cases Certainly in a question of this
character there would be the desire for
the fullest information from all avail
able sources. When this documentary
evidence was all in hand the question
might then arise as to the desirability
Of verifying certain features of 1t by
personal inspection of the originals CT
the documents IN the archives of Spain.
Holland and other countries. This
would involve a trip abroad, and there
was the possibility that IL might be-
,ome desirable personally to view the
locality of contention along the Guiana
ine. Justice Brewer illustrated this
by referring to some of the boundary
contests over Mexican land grants.
number of which have been decided by
him. including the Maxwell land grant
cases. The Justice says he has not
given a thought to the executive stan
of the commission and as yet no names
have been suggested. The justice does
not feel that the appearance OF his
name at the head of the list as an
nounced confers upon him any sugges-
ton that he will initiate the work OF
the body. as the commission itself may
select its chairman.
New York, Jan. AIT a meeting of
the chamber of commerce to-day a