New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-23
BRITISH GUIANANS ALARMED
THEY FEAR THE vENEZUELANs MAY RE-
PUDIATE THE AGREEMENT.
THIS MIGHT BE FOLLOWED BY A VICTORIOUS
ATTACK UPON GUIANA BEFORE ENGLAND
COULD SEND SINGLE wARsHIP-THE
COLONISTS BADLY IN NEED
OF PROTECTION

NOLoNislS bNbi>i i.' NH|'
OF PROTECTION.
Kingston jamaica Dec. l6-Specia dispatches
from Georgetown, British Guiana. Of a day or TWO
ago indicate great excitement and even anxiety III
that colony over the possibility that venezuela
might repudiate the Anglo American agreement
The news as published I'm NewYork on December
Y was at once telcgraphed to Kingston. whence II
made the round of the West Indian circuit, ana
gave the Demerarians big Sunday morning scare
While 1t Is a matter of course that nobody In MS
senses except some hot-headed and ignorant Venez-
uelans would trouble think about war
between England and the little Republic If the
United States was out of 1t. still the Guiana col
onists know very well that at the outset they
would have to bear the brunt of 1t. The Nenezue-
lans would at least strike blow at England
with great promptitude and decision. whatever the
ater-consequences. And that blow would be a
dash into Guiana. down the rivers ard possibly
on to Georgetown before single English warship
got within striking distance.
There is not soldier in the colony W. There
arc few hundred sem-mtary police and mi
litia force that only few months ago materialzed
out Of Its paper existence. The armament consists
of n few Maxim guns the frontier and two at
Georgetown Therefore, force of. say 1900. of
Venezuela's picked troops. amply large enough to
DO the work cut out. and yet small enough to be
easily handled on the waterways. which the
only roads OF the country. would find itself practi
cally unopposed down to the first cataracts Of the
Essequbo Thence they could march along the
lately completed Demsrara- Essequibo railroad
track into Georgetown. on this march they would
meet the police and militia and Maxms apd there
would OF course be fight. But unless q man-of
war happened along mt the right moment TO sup
port the cooniss. there is question at all about
the result.
The colonists know this perfectly well and hence
the reports Of Venezueas possible rejection Of the
arbitration treaty and submitta loss by force
has disgrurtled them much. What they want is
that England should walt until the probable
new developments come or but send a few
ships down TO Georgetown at once so that they
might he in position to put an effective fighting
force on the Essequibo and avoid the destruction
OF some OF the finest sugar estates In the colony
and the indgnity OF having their capital the
mercy OF the enemy. No who knows anything
about the temper OF the Venezuclans and their
really fine warlIke prowess for any operations
that come within their limited capacity will be
disposed 10 blame the colonsts for their anxiety
That the present outlook warrants the pre-
sumption that such raid might he ATTEMPTED
goes without saving and the result for Guiana
would be most disastrous But Tor tho timely dis
covery OF gold some dozen or fourteen years ago
and It's active exploitation, tho colony whose in
been practically bankrupt this Put gold has
enabled the Government to make things easy for
head above water much better than It has in
Barbados and the sugar islands. II 10 readily
understood. therefore, that II the Venczueans
cam" along and DESTROYED the mining properties
on the frontier and then wined ont the sugar
partatons Of Esscquiho and Demerara. tho utter
ruin o. the colony would be ACCOMPLISHED II may
be all worry well 10 that in the end Venezuela
would have TO nav for IL. size naturally would
since In view ~ the Insult 20 the United States
that the rejection would involve. 1t IS not pos
sible Tint that Government would intervene to
prevent ENGLAND enforcing her demands Rut the
indemnify would not satisfy tho crDpled colons's
What they "ant Is protection. and hence tho
fcverish desire 10 500 the white ensign" ard
plenty 81 It floating in the Demcrara and Esse-
quibo rivers.