Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1896-01-25
TO GIVE TESTIMONY
Venezue an Commission Invites
Both Governments.
IN AVERY COURTEOUS LETTER
Realizes That Its Position Is Almost
Without Parable! in the Law
of Nations.

Washing gton, Jan 20.-The Venezue
| Ian commission has invited the gov
ernlnents- Of Great Britain and Nenezue
Ia to submit to it all of the evidence
in their possession to further the Wori
Of the commission, to be represented
before it by attorneys, and all Of thi:
with the reservation that such repre-
sentat ton and appearance shall not bt
deemed an abandonment of any rights
OF position heretofore assumed. 1t lras
done this in order that the proceedings
Of the commission may not be said tC
be eX parJe, that the truth may ap-
| pear and that time may be saved IN
the inquiry with which the commission
| is charged. The invitation is in the
| shape of letter to Secretary Olney,
I%WhO has made a response, saying that
ne has transmitted a copy of the com
missions views to the two govern
| ments concerned These facts came out
after the meeting of the commission
| today, although the letter was drawn up
| and sent to the secretary Of state at its
last meeting, January Is.
The full text Of the letter is as fol-
| lows:
coffee Of the Venezuelan Boundary
| Commission, Washington, Jan. 10, 1S96.-
i The Honorable Secretary of State-Dear
| Sir: l have the honor to state that the
| commission appointed by the president Of
the United States to investigate and re-
| port upon the true divisional line between
| the republic of Venezuela and British
| Guiana has organized by the election OF
| Hon. David J. Brewer as it's president and
| is entering upon the immediate discharge
of it's duties. 1t has concluded after
careful consideration to ADDRESS you on
the question Of securing as far as possi-
BILE the friendly cooperation and aid OF
the two nations which are directly inter-
eSted in the now pending boundary differ
enceS. 1t must have suggested Itself to
you, as it has no doubt to the president,
that this commission, authorized to ascer-
tain and report the boundary line between
two foreign nations bears only a remote
resemble nee to those tribunals of inter-
national character of Which we: have had
several examples in the past. They are
constituted by or with the consent of the
GisputantS themselves and were author
iZed by the parties Immediately concerned
to pronounce final judgment. The ques-
tons at ISSUE Were presented by the adVo-
Gates of the various interests. upon whose
>.ifligence and skill the tribunal might safe
ly rely for all the data and the argu-.
nents' essential to the formation Of an
intelligent judgment. Their functions
We're, therefore, confined to the exercise
Of Judicial powers and they might fairly
expect to reach a result satisfactory to
their own consciences, while it command
Ell the respect of those whose interests
We're directly involved
hut no
mode Of its appointment, nor by the ma
ture of it's duties may be said to belong to
tribunals of this character It's duty will
be discharged if it shall diligently and
fairly seek TO inform the executive office
of certain facts touching a long extent OF
territory, in which the United States have
no direct'interest. Whatever may be the
conclusions reached, no territorial ag
srandizement or material gain in any
form can accrue to the United States. The
sole concern Of our government is the
peIceful solution of the- controversy be-
tween friendly nations, for the just and
honorable settlement of. the title to, dis
Ihted territory, and,the protection Of the
United States against any fresh acquisi-
ton in our hemisphere on the part of any
European state. 1t has seemed proper to
the committee under these circumstances
to suggest to you the expediency of'ca1ling
the attention of the governments of Great
Britain and Venezuela to the appointment
OF the committee and explaining both its
nature and object. 1t may be that they
will see a way entirely consistent with |
their own sense of internationa propri- |
ETY. to give the committee the aid that it
is no doubt in their power to furnish in
the way of documentary proof historical |
nara tive, unpublished archives or the |
like. 1t is scarcely necessary to say that |
if either should deem it appropriate to des-
ignate an agent or attorney whose duty
it would be to see that. no such .'proofs |
vera on:tted'Qr overlooked, the commits |
sion would be grateful for such evidence |
Of good will. and for the valuable results |
Which would be likely to follow there
from. 80.
ANY act Of either govergHent in the di-
rectiOn here suggested might be accom- |
panied by an express reservation as to |
her claims and should be deemed to be |
an abandonment or impairment Of any po- |
stion heretofore expressed In other
words, and in the lawyers phrase, each |
might be willing to act the part of an |
amicus curiae and to throw the light up- |
on difficult and complex questions of fact, !
which. should be examined as carefully as |
the magnitude Of the subject demands |
The Purposes ofthe pending Investigation
are certainly hostile to none, nor can it |
be of. .advarta age,, to any that the maehin-
cry devised by the government Of the |
United States to secure the desired infor- |
nation should fail Of it's purpose l have |
the honor to remain your obedient ser
want, DAVID J.. BREWER, Pres.
TO Hon. Richard Olney, Secretary of /
State"
The -secretary's reply was short and |
formal, merely an acknowledgment of |
the receipt Of the letter and state
ment that he had caused copies Of it to
be sent to the British and Venezuelan
governments.
1t can not be said that the commits
sion is confident Of a favora bic response
from both parties to the boundary con-
troVersy, although the courteous tones
in which the suggestion is. eollched and
the wide latitude. permitted each party
that may respond in the open spirit
which che racterizes the invitation leads |.
to the natural hope that it viii be ac-
AN OVERLOOKING MASS MEETING