Evening star., 1896-01-21
PEACEFUL ADJUSTMENT
The Administration View of the Ven.
ezuelan Que ton.
Plans Under Confederation by Which
Arbitration May be Satisfac-
tOrily Arranged.

There is every indication that the ad-
mibistration now expects a peaceable ad-
justment Of the Venezuelan boundary dis
pute, one that shall not follow directly as
the result of the appointment of the Amer
iean commission, and yet shall be entirely
satisfactory to all parties to the contro-
yersy, the United States, Great Britain and
Venezuela. There is reason to believe that
Ambassador Bayard has communicated to
Secretary Olney some assurances on the
subject, based on communications he has
had with Lord Salisbury. At any rate, the
Secretary himself has conveyed this i'm
preston of a satisfactory outcome of the
important problem to at least one leading
member of Congress. The details of the
plan OF settlement he did not divulge, but
there is reason for the belief that it will
be closely patterned upon the Bering sea
arbitration, and will really amount to q
double arbitration.
Details of the Plan.
According to this project, an arbitration
commission to be appointed by Great
Britain and Venezuela directly will be
charged to pass upon the title to the lands
lying westward Of the Schomburgk line.
Great Britain has always been willing to
do this, as is shown in Lord Salisbury's
last note, and the preceding correspond
ence on the subject, but Venezuela has per-
slstently refused to limit the arbitration to
the lands to the westward, and has in
sisted upon taking into account the title to
the land east of the line as well, and in this
she has been supported by President Cleve-
land. But the treaty providing for the ar
duration will probably contain a clause to
the enect that If in the course of the in
qulrleS OF the commission it shall be found
mat there is reason to question the British
title to The lands lying to the eastward of
tne Schomburgk line, the commission shall
hot
concerned, ard either the same commits
slon' or another following, shall proceed
Immediately to adjust that question.
All Parties Can Be Suited.
rms project is said to meet the objections
that nave been raised to other plans, that
they involve the backdown of one of the
parties to the dispute. Now Great Britain
can accept an arbitration on these terms
arranged directly with Venezuela, without
gong on record as accepting the Monroe
doctrine, or the Olney doctrine. for Il is
what she has all along professed her will
lngness to do. On the other hand Venezu-
ella can accept the project, for while the
original arbitration will be ostensibly i'm
lted, as a matter of fact it will omen the
way TO an adjudication of the title of all
the lands that have been claimed by Ven
ezuela from the beginning, supposing as a
primary requisite that she Is able to sho,y
that the British title to the western lands
is not good. And the United States may
accept the plan even though it involves
the abandonment of the commission plan
OF settlement, and ignores the United
States itself as party to the controversy
for the President has distinctly stated in
his message to Congress that our govern
ment would be satisfied with any arrange
ment that would be satisfactory to VeneZu-
ella.
Pending the conclusion of negotiations
for the proposed plan of arbitration, the
administration deprecates any. public act
or utterances that might have tendency
to strain the relatiGns between the coun-
tries concerned.