Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-13
RUNORS OF A SETTLEMENT
Report Has it England Has Asked Gleve-
land to Arbitrate.
coNCetEs ALMOST EVERYTHING ASKED
officials ot the uritish Foreign omcc
Protest They Know Nothing
of the proaosition
Mhatryer.

CHICAGO. March IA special dispatch
to the Chronicle from Washington says:
A settlement OF the Venezuelan question has
been reached. 1t will be announced at an
early day. OF this satisfactory conclusion
OF the controversy the president has had
knowledge for two days past.
Great Britain has acted with magnanmlty
which commonds her to the severest critics.
She comedies SO much that there would be
little to arbltrate should arbitration be
necessary. II is not improbable that the
entire matter may now be settled outside
the Venezuelan commission by the president
and Lord Salisbury.
Under the terms, so far as outlined, Great
Britain agrees to submit all questions in
dispute TO amicable adjustment with the
president through the State department as
one Of the contracting parties. That
Venezuela would agree to almost anything
suggested by the United States has been
known all along. 1t is surmised that the
attitude of some of the influential London
papers In pointing out alleged defects in
the British blue book may have had some
thing to do with the change Of attitude by
Queen Victoria's ministers.
The president was in very high spirits last
night over the favorable turn in the con-
truversy between the two nations.
LONDON, March 12.-The permanent
y,
Sir Thomas Henry Sanderson. was asked to-
day IL the report cabled here from the
United States. that a settlement of the
Venezuelan question had been reached was
correct He said that he would be glad to
know that the Venezuelan dispute was set
tied, but he added ~ knew nothing about
such settlement as the one reported in New
York having been reached. For all know,
however, settlement may be near; but I
have not heard of a settlement
DISCRBDITED AT THE CAPITAL.
WASHINGTON, March 12-It can be
stated positively. notwithstanding the publ
cations to the contrary, that no settlement
has yet been reached on the Venezuelan
question, but according to the best authority
matters are proceeding in such fashion as to
warrant the belief that there will be salts
factory outcome. 1t Is admitted that at
present it cannot be told whether the ulti-
mate settlement of this question will be eff
fected as the result of direct negotiations be-
tween Great Britain and Venezuela. initiated
through the medium of some friendly power,
at the conclusion OF the work of our own
venezuelan boundary commission, but in one
way or another peaceful and honorable
end to the dispute is believed to be entirely
probable in the end, though this end still
may be far removed.
If negotiations directly between Venezuela
ana Great Britain have been renewed at
Caracas the fact is not known to the officials
here, who would surely be advised for their
own guidance, and as the Venezuelan board
Is progressing diligently to the discharge of
Its duty to weigh all the evidence obtainable
respecting the actual territorial boundary
line, and in this has been assured of the CO.
operation informally, it is true. as to Great
Britain, but none the less effectua!ly) of both
parties in the dispute, the public expectation
appears to turn in that direction
Owing to the limited number Of advance
copies of the British blue book containing the
British case, which have been received so
far, the commission has been obliged to
struggle along with one single copy, which is
of course inadequate for the simultaneous
study Of all the members but 1t is expected
that within day or two the mails will bring
sufficient supply Of the documents from
London to facilitate the progress of the work
7 Meanwhile, so far as the document has been
examined, 1t can be stated that it is not
regarded as bearing out the promise of the in
vulnerabilty claimed for it in London In
fact, 1t is in many points regarded as open
to impeachment as Ito actual historical events
recited.