Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-17
The Venezuelan Commission to For
mally Select Secretary.
Mr.. MALLET-PREVCSrS QUALITIES
What Justice Brewer Says of the
Work to Be Done.
CAN'T PREDICT THE CLOSE

Owing to Mr.. Justice Brewers engage
ments on the Supreme bench this week. the
Venezuelan boundary commission has not
been able to make much progress since its
adjournment last Saturday. Arrangements
have been made, however, for a meeting
in temporary quarters on the eighth floor
of the Sun building on F street tomor-
row, and workmen are engaged today in
preparing the rooms for that purpose. One
of the matters expected to be settled at
this meeting is the formal election of Mr..
Severe Mallet-Prevost of New York as sec
retary Of the commission.
The Probable Secretary.
Mr.. Mallet-Prevost stands high at the
New York bar, and has an international
practice. Notwithstanding his foreign
name, he is a full-fedged citizen of the
United States. Most of his early life was
spent at Zacatecas. Mex, where his father
was the American consul. He is fine
linguist, and is especially familiar with the
Spanish language This knowledge will
stand him in good stead in prosecuting the
work of the commission, inasmuch as all
the records of the Venezuelan case are in
that language. Mr.. Mallet-Prevost gain
ed special distinction as the government
counsel In the celebrated case of Peralta-
Reavis, involving the title to 100000 acres
of land in New Mexico. His fee in that
case was $4,000. One of the chapters of
the Peralta history treated of the early
archives of Spain, and to those archives
the commission must look for important
evidence on the boundary dispute. At the
present time Mr.. P. Mallet-Prevost is
associated with Mr.. Coudert. son of the
commissioner in the dispute between Italy
and Colombia, which is before President
Cleveland for arbitration.
If Necessnry to Visit Venezuela.
In case it is found necessary to visit Ven
ezuela to establish facts not otherwise OBJ
tainable. the commission will hardly be able
to make its report in less than six months
time Outside Of the voyage to Venezuela
which would consume not less than a month
going and returning. the journey through
the wild interiorspf the country involved in
the controversy would be very difficult
With small flying force of eight lightly
equipped colonial police. the journey to the
Nruan outpost, marking one end of the line
claimed by Great Britain. which was the
scene of a recent conflict between the two
forces, could not be made in less than
twenty-three days. 1t is estimated that a
complete survey of the disputed territory
would require at least five months steady
work.
What Justice Brewer Says.
In recent Interview in regard to the
plan of operations of the commission, Mr..
Justice Brewer, it's presiding officer, said
that they would freely avail themselves of
the mass of documentary evidence in the
State Department and elsewhere in Wash
ington bearing upon the controversy. "Our
main .room." he said, will be provided
with long tables, upon which maps may be
laid, and one side of the wall will be
given to racks for the hanging of maps of
Venezuela and British Columbia, according
to the dates of issue, and the country in
lyh fhnU nf
ments, too, bearing upon this case are to be
had at the State Department and at the
Venezuelan legation. The proceedings of
the Royal Geographical Society, of which
Sir Robert Schomburgk was correspond
ing member, will be drawn upon for ma
terial, and, in fact, no reliable source will
be neglected In our search for the truth in
this matter. OF course, our examination
of all these documents and maps is only
preliminary to our selection and authenti-
cation While we may take the copies of
the documents for this preliminary investi-
cation, it would Of course not be proper to
official verif1cation by one or more of our
number by an inspection of the original
documents. 1t is therefore difficult to say
how long this work is going to take.
Can't Predict the Time.
1--WE have hoped that our labors might be
completed in three months, but it is not
possible to make any accurate statement
on this subject, for 1t will probably be
necessary for some of our number to visit
not only the country of Venezuela, but al
so to examine the documents of convey
ance by the Spanish and Dutch govern
ments at Madrid and The Hague. 1 do not
suppose that 1t will be necessary for all of
us to visit all three Of these countries, but
1t will certainly be necessary for some Of
us to see the original documents if those
original documents cannot be brought to
US. These trips to foreign countries will
in themselves probably consume over a
month in each instance, and so it is ex-
tremely doubtful whether We will have
completed our work in three months time.
The International and diplomatic import
once of our work will preclude the possi-
bility of haste in any direction, and we
must Therefore not be hurried in any way"