Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-03-12
BRlTAiN'S 81 AIM

sossfon BY the Dutch and English st
Forth NJ the Bas1s Of England's 0uns<-
ship.
LosDoN, March The expected
Venezuelan blue book, which is enti-
tied Documents and Correspondence
Relating to the Question Of the Boun-
dairy of Guiana and Venezuela was
issued by the government last night
The volume consists of 443 folio pages,
with separate book containing nine
maps It opens with 20 pages, COM
prising preliminary statement deal-
ing with the history of the territories
from 1920 until the issuance of her ma
jestyss memorandum to Venezuela in
March, 1890. The statement concludes
as follows:
The above examination shows that
the main grounds upon which the claim
Of Venezuela is supposed to be based, so
far as it has been presented to Great
Britain at different times during the
past fifty years as follows:
First. The original discovery and
the first exploration of the South
American continent by Spain, which
are clearly irrelevant.
Second. The bull of Pope Alexan-
der VI, which cannot be considered as
having any real bearing upon the
question.
Third. The allegation that the oc-
cupation of Guiana by the Dutch was
q violation of the treaty of Munster.
This allegation has been shown to be
unfounded.
Fourth. Possession and occupation
by the Spaniards of the territory,
south of the Orinoco, including the
rivers Barima, Yurari and Pomaroon.
It has been shown that the only
Spanish settlements there at any time
were San Thome de Guyana, which
was situated on the south bank of the
Orinoco and which had been moved
from time to time higher up the river,
as it was destroyed by the British and
Dutch successfully, and by the Capu-
chin settlements. situated between the
Or1noco and the Tumerimo, as has
been previously discovered.
Fifth. That the Dutch had never
had any possessions north of the Esse-
quibo.
This statement has been shown to
be equally erroneous, as perusal of
the whole diplomatic correspondence
will show that the British government,
while insisting that the just claims OF
Great Britain would entitle her to q
boundary practically embracing the
whole watershed of Essequibo, the
Cuyuni, the Yuruari, the Pomaroon,
the Waini and the Barima, has been
willing to agree to a boundary within
those limits, which would give Vene.
zuela far more territory than that to
which she can show any title.
From the summary given of the fore
going chapter it viii be seen:that Great
Britain, while maintaining her just
rights, has consistently shown a de-
sire to make fair arrangement with
Venezuela, and that the claim of Ven
ezuela that her territory extends to
the Essequibo, was based upon con-
tentions which are in no way sup
ported by facts, and cannot be justi-
fed upon any reasonable grounds.
Besides the above statement the re-
port holds that the following conclu-
sions have been clearly established:
First. That prior to 1900 the Dutch
had established themselves on the
coast of Guiana.
Second. That prior to 1886 the Span
iards had esta blished no settlements
in Guiana.
Third. That by 1913 the Dutch set
Il sments in Guiana extended along the
,ast the whole way from the river
liaroni to the Barima, and inland to
sarious points in the interior upon the
.fvers Esseouibo, Cuyuni, Pomaroon,
Naini and Barima and their tributa-
lies.
Fourth. That up to 1928 the only
settlement of Spaniards in Guiana was
San Thome de Guyana, on the south
bank of the 0rinoco, originally founded
in 1896 at q site shown on the sketch
map.
Fifth. That between 1923 and 1.9d
the only additional settlements
founded by the Spaniards i'm Guiana
chin missions south of the 0rinoco in
the direction of the river Yu-ari and
two villages on the upper Orinoco,
several hundred miles above San
Thome de Guyana.
Sixth. That Dutch occupation to the
extent indicated was perfectly well
known in Spain, and that the attempts
of the Spanish to dispossess the Dutch
had wholly failed.
Seventh. That subsequently, to I70e
Great Britain has continually remained
in possession, and her subjects have
occupied further portions of the terri
tory to which the Dutch established
their title.