The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-21
SUGGESTED TO oLNEY.
Representatives Might Appear
and at Least Act as Ami.
Gus Curla.
CLAIMS COULD BE RESERVED.
New Englanders Promised Safe Gus.
tody of Any Documents Fur.
niShed Investigators.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 2o.-The
| members of the Venezuelan Commission
met to-day at IL 80 o'clock in their hand
somely appointed quarters in the building
partly occupied by the Interstate Com
mission. Justice Brewer presided. The
selection of s. Mallet Provost of New York
as the executive officer of the commission,
was formally ratified. Mr.. Provost was
not present, but it was stated that he
would take hold of his duties on Wednes-
day next.
The commission gave out for publication
the following letter addressed to Secretary
Olney last week, inviting cooperation
from the. two Governments chiefly in
terested in the boundary controversy:
OFFICE OF THE VENEZUELAN BoUNDARYl
COMMISSION,
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Jan. 15, 1896.
Hon. Secretary of Stdte-DEAR SIR: have the
honor to state that the commission appointed
by the President of the United States to inves-
tgate and report upon the true divisional line
between the republic of Venezuela and British
Guiana has organized by the election of the
Hon. David j. Brewer as its president, and is
entering upon the immediate discharge of it's
duties.
/
tion, concluded to address you a question
of securing so far possible the friendly co.
operation and aid of the two nations which
are directly interested in the now pending
boundary dispute.
1t must have suggested itself TO you, as it no
dou bt has to the President that this commits
sion, thus authorized to ascertain and report
the boundary line between the two foreign ma
| tons, bears only remote resemblance to those
| tribunals of an International character Of
| which we have had several examples in the
past. They were constituted by or with the
consent of the disputants themselves, and
were authorized by the parties Immediately
concerned to pronounce final judgment The
questions at issue were presented by the advo.
Gates of the various interests upon whose dili~
gence and skill the tribunal might safely rely
for all the data and the arguments essential to
the formation OF an intelligent judgment.
Their functions were, therefore, confined to
the exercise of judicial powers, and they
might fairly expect to reach a result satisfac.
tory to their own consciences, while it COM
manded the respect of those whose interests
were directly involved.
The present commission neither by the mode
of its appointment nor by the nature of its
duties may be said to belong to the tribunals
of this character. Its duty Will be discharged
if it shall diligently and fairly seek to inform
the executive of certain facts touching large
extent OF territory, in which the United States
have no direct interest. Whatever may be the.
conclusion reached, no territorial aggrandiZe-
ment nor material gain in any form can accrue
to the United States. The sole concern OF our
Government is the peaceful solution of con-
troversy between two friendly powers; for the
Just and honorable settlement of the title 10.
disputed territory and the protection of the
United States against any fresh acquisitions in
our hemisphere on the part of any European
state.
1t has seemed proper to the commission, un>
der these circumstances, to suggest to you the
expedency of calling the attention of the
Governments of Great Britain and Venezuela
to the appointment of the commission and ex-
planning both its nature and object. 1t may
be that thew will see way, entirely consistent
with their own sense of international pro-
priety, to give the commission the aid that it
is no doubt in their power to furnish in the
way of documentary proof, historical nara
tives, unpublished archives or the like. 1t is
scarcely necessary to say that if either should
deem it appropriate to designate an agent or
attorney, whose duty 1t would be TO see that
no such proofs were omitted or overlooked,
the commission would be grateful for such
evidence of good will and for the valuable res
suits which would be likely to follow there-
from.
An act of either Government in the direction
here suggested might he accomplished by an
express reservation as to her claims and should
not be deemed to be an abandonment or im-
pairment of any position heretofore expressed.
In other words and in lawyers phrase. each
might be willing to act the part OF an amicus
curise and to throw light upon difficult and
complex questions of fact which should be eX-'
amined as carefully as the magnitude of the
subject demands.
The purposes of the pending investigation
are certainly hostile to none, nor can it be of
advantage to any that the machinery devised
py the Government of the United States to
secure the desired information should fail of
it's purpose. DAVID ]. BREWER, President.
To this communication Secretary Olney
replied, stating that he had communicated
the suggestions of the commission to Sir
Julian Pauncefote, the British Embassa-
dor, and to Minister Andrade, the Vene.
zuean representative, for transmission to
their respective Governments.
The commission then adjourned until
Friday next, it being the understanding
that Friday is to be the business day of the
commission. The only employees SO far
determined upon are the secretary (or ex-
ecutive otficer) one stenographer and a
doorkeeper and messenger.
The commission finding that in New
England and elsewhere there are colIec-
tions of ancient maps desire it to be UNDER
stood that any documents of this kind
intrusted to them for their information
will be carefully preserved and returned to
the owners.
The Mackays Coming.