New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-21
VENEZUELA MAKES REPLY.


Palmerston that 1t was only to be considered
"as a statement Of the British claim" and SUD-
ceouently Lord Granville in 1881, LORD Aoer-
deem in 1884. and Lord Rosebery In 1850 OF
fered to agree to lines which they declared
"would secure to Venezuela the undistnroeo poS-
pession of the mouths Of the Orinoco.
This was because Great Britain, under those
Ministers. and in fact under all except Sails
bury, felt that neither in law nor IN eood con-
science could a claim to Barima be insisted upon.
Mr.. Storrow says: Lord Salisbury Is the only
Minister who insisted upon different view;
and his claims grew every time he required to
the subject
The line marked by Schomburgk on the maps
published by himself and by the Government
had been declared at the outset to be the defini-
tion of the British claim. and merely basis Tor
discussion But now no decision Is to be PER
mitted within that line, and all that VIII be
admitted TO arbitration is territory formerly
claimed far outside Of ii.
But even the Schomburgk line has been al
tered and expanded. In every map and every
description Of it down to 1886 which was twenty
years after his death, it was shown ana oe-
ecribed approximately as north and south
line cutting across the Cuyani and across It's
southern basin. This includes the maps OF 1910
1S41 1S47, published i'm the reports OF his ex-
plorations: Ave separate maps published directly
by the Government or by the Government au-
thority--1S40. 1861 1915. 1876, 1857, and ten In
the Off .ial Colonial List, 1S77-1SS6-one Of
which maps. namely. that Of 1870 in the Gov
eminent publication of the geological survey.
was stated IN the text to be from tracing OF
Schomburgks final map in the possession of the
Government. The great map of the Colony.
about by feet in size. prepared by the
Government surveyors in 1875 and based on
tracing of SShomburgk's map bearing Schom-
burgk's name and still officially known as
"Schomburgk's map" and published by Stan
ford In 1876 dated 1879 by procurement of the
Colonial Government, showed the north and
south line; and note on its face said: 1.-THE
boundaries indicated in this map are those laid
down by the late Sir Robert schcmburgk.'
COLONIAL OFFICE DISCOVERY"
But in 1856. twenty years after Schomburgk's
death. the Colonial office "dscovered' that all
these maps were wrong; that Schomburgks line
went around by the great bend OF the Cuyani.
1t thereupon compelled Stanford to conceal his
existing maps and to change his plate by eras-
ing the boundary which went across the head
waters of the Barima and across the Cuyuni,
and by inserting another which went around the
great bend, and the maps changed in 1856
still bore the date 1875 and other date.
The new line first invented or asserted in 1856
thus appeared as If 1t were the original line
of 1875, supported by the authority of the sur
veyors whose names still appeared the map
as before This Is perilousy near the altera-
ton Of ancient landmarks and spoliation of rec
ofds. II evidently deceived Lord Salisbury,
who. on February 49, 1890. asserted it to be
1.-THE line surveyed by Sir r. Scbomburgk in
1S41." He did not survey this line in 1S41 or
IN any other year.
The Schomburgk line. it is asserted. was orlgi-
nally nothing but speculative attempt or pro-
posal TO form the subject Of discussion and
negotiation. 1t has not. In itself, the slightest
probative or presumptive value. 1t was stated
merely as a definition Of the British claims. and
the attempt, after it had stood forty years, to
alter both its location and its character gives
rise TO reflections which 1t is not necessary to
dwell upon. Nor would the recent attempt
stand any better if some unpublished papers in
the Colonial Office should lend color of justih-
cation to 1t. The value Of the line as lmta-
ton of the British claim does not lie in the
opinion of Schomburgk. but in the fact of its au-
theritative publication.
1t must also be pointed out, the brief con-
tinues that in 1850 the two nations agreed
that there should be no occupation of the dis
puted territory by either, and that In 1884, and
subsequently, Great Britain invaded 1t with an
armed force and took possession UP to the
expanded Schomburgk line. On February 20
1887, Venezuela severed diplomatic relations
with Great Britain. The Investigations demon
strated that Schomburgk died under the i'm
preston that he had drawn a north and south
line, and the publications of his brother, who
travelled with him. contain the same line. 1t
IL also contended that this line was never al
tered until the discoveries of gold outside the
original line gave a new speculative value to
the region.
WHERE THE REAL LINE RAN.
The line of all these authentic maps strikes
the Cayuni, not at the Acarabisi River. where
the Harrison surveying party was arrested last
month, but at the Otomong River, which is
twenty miles east of or below the Acarabis
schomburgk planted stakes on the Acarabisi
and at several other places; but the stream by
which he placed them turned out to be, as he
states in his report. much further to the west
than he had supposed They were, therefore,
far to the west Of the line which In his memoir
he had attempted to justify. 1t Is for that rea-
son, undoubtedly, that he made the line on the
fnal map to run from Arakita, on the Amacura
20 the Otornong very nearly north and SOUTH
straight across the country. His large map OF
1914 (from which Brown made tracings) ex-