The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-01

recuyniZe that furci5ir occupation @NcS
Great Britain any title to territory claimed
by EcnrZucln, whct he: west or cast Of the
arbitrary Sch0mhurgk line, and insists
that the legitimate ownership ri the terri
tory, lin its entirety Can DC decided only
by arbitration on the basis Of historical
fact.'
All consideration of historical fact in
the Venezuelan controversy hinge rpon
one simple question. What were rcspcc-
lively, the geographical limits Of the Ncne-
yurlan republic when it declared its intir-
prnGrncc ui Spain in 1910 and of British
Guiana when England acquired that col
ony by treaty from Holland in 1Sl4?
There is no uIhrr question involved, for
England has not since 1914 added one foot
Of territory u her original British Guiana
colony by any process which can como
within the cogni%mcc Of the laws Of ma
tiunS.
From 1911 to 1911 England never init
mated in the slightest manner that ShO
deemed herself entitled to any important
port ion of the Atlantic coast west of the
EsSruIlibo river. Most Interesting and
valuable evidence is afforded hy Il long
note written on May 2G, 1886, by Sir Rob-
ert Kcr Porter, British charge d'alfaircs at
Caracas, to tho Venezuelan authorities,
pctitioning them with great carncstncss
to erect Il lighthouse ut Point Barinla and
otherwise provide for safer navigation at
the grand mouth Of tho Orinocn. Mr..
Porter thus conceded that Point l}arima
and the Orinuco mouth were exclusively
within the jurisdiction Of the Venezuelan
government, and tho British foreign office
never took occasion To rrpudintc his action
in that matter until sOmo 30 years later,
after it had become the fixed policy uf tho
London cabinet to hold Point BariEa and
the mouth OF TIN, OrinucO by force of arms
and without admitting arbitration.
Origin of the Schomburgk Line.
The Schomhurgk line, with its initial
point ut the center of the Orinncu mouth,
was traced IN 1911 hy Sir Robert Schnm-
burgk, an English engineer. In surveying
it hc acted entirely in the interests Of the
British government and without the con-
sent or even the knowledge uf Venezuela.
Great excitement WIS uccusioncd in the TO-
uullic when il brcamr known what
SchumhIrck had done, and that he had
set up posts 10 indicate British dominion.
4 prompt rcmUnStranCc WAS made, and
Lord Aberdeen, who YVES then prime min
lister Of En-t. answered, on Dee. II,
ISL, that the marks placed 10y Mr.. Schum-
burgk nt some points of hrc"umrr which
hr iIud surveyed were simply il preliminary
step. Suh;r"t to future dlSclSSl"n 'E'!Wccn
the two governments; that they We're the
only tangible IHrlllS Of preparing 10 dis
culsS the question of limits with the gnv-
ernmcnu of Venezuela; that they were
placed with that express ubjrCI and not,
Il, the government of NrnczlIrla seemed
to fear il. with the intention Of indicating
dominion or empire Oh the part u! Great
Britain. Soon Hitcrward Lord Aberdeen
ordered that all uf Schuinlurgk'S posts
shUuld hr removed.
Three years later tlSlD Lord Aberdeen
voluntarily prupu>rd To Srnur Furt"luc,
ANenezuclun plrnipotrnli iary III England, ii
kundary limo beginning on the coast Ut
mouth of the river M"ru"", which
Ass into the ocean some distance To
Inward Of the ESScqubn.
II, 1850, Mr.. Bedford Hinton
res of Great Britain
! !, ]. !.
ly cuntradiCiing
Au,lrd claiming
ktiin&: "Thr
Isticc To Great
IA moment The