The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-18
WAR DOG NUZZLES
Continued from First Page,

Continued from First Page.
with territorial claims, the views Of the
Two governments are still, he says
apart. Her majesty's government is
not prepared for a complete surrender
OF its freedom of action until further
experience has been acquired The
frst result of compulsory arbitration
of territorial claims would not i'm
probably be an enormous multiplication
OF their number. Says Lord Sails
bury:
Whatever the benefits of arbitration NAV
be, in preventing war from arising out Of
territorial disputes, they may well be cut
weighed II the system should tend to generate
a, muiitipielty OF International litigation,
ohghtlng the prosperity of the border coun-
try exposed to it, and leaving its inhabitants
to lie under the enduring threat either of a
Iorclnle exchange of allegiance or of exile.
Lord Salisbury further argues it
would be wiser, until experience is
gained, for nations to retain in their
own hands some control over the ulti-
mate results of any claim that might
be advanced against their territorial
rights. AS a measure of protection, he
suggests that no award on a question
of territorial rights should stand, if
Within three months after its delivery
either party shall protest against It's
u
salisbury expresses an apprehension
that If Secretary Olney's plan were
adopted, nation whose territory was
claimed would avoid all risk of an ad-
verse arbitration by refusing to ac-
cept 1t, on the ground that it involved
honor and integrity AS Tor his own
plan, he feels that if the procedure
upon experience were found to work
with tolerable fairness, the option of
rejecting the award would be less and
less used, and might finally be re-
nounced.
On June a letter was semitic Score
tary Olney by Sir Julian Pauncefote
submitting on behalf of his govern
ment proposals for the settlement of
the Venezuelan boundary question, in
the form Of a memorandum from Lord
Salisbury. Lord Salisbury SAYS that
from the first his objection has been
to submitting to a foreign arbitrator
the rights of British colonists who had
settled in a territory they had every
ground to believe British. Hhe was
willing that the unsettled territory
should be subjected to arbitration.
even though some portion of it should
be found to fall within the Schomburgk
line. Therefore, he proposed a COM
mission Of two British and two Amer
leans, to ascertain the facts affecting
the rights Of the United colonies and
Of Spain respectively, with the date of
the acquisition of Guiana by Great
Britain. majority report should bind
both governments, and upon the re-
port Great Britain and Venezuela
should endeavor to arrange a boundary
line. Failing in agreement, the con-
troversy and report should be sub
mitted to a tribunal Of three one
| named by Great Britain and one by
Venezuela, and the third by the two
already chosen.
This tribunal, it is proposed, shall
fix line binding upon both countries
provided that it shall not have power
to transfer to either Venezuela or
Great Britain any territory bona fide
occupied by the subjects of the other
country Jan. l, 1887, although in re-
spect to such territory the tribunal
may submit recommendations to sat
isfy the equitable rights of the par
ties.
ENGLISH OFFER DECLINED
On June IL last Secretary OIney re-
gretfully declined this proposition as
not calculated to terminate speedily
the boundary dispute or give due rec
ognition to the rights of the parties.
He points out that the first commission
would probably be tied; that it is not
authorized to ascertain the bona fide
character Of settlements made and
that the result would probably be
further negotiations and not impos-
sibly another commission.
The gravest objection made by the
secretary, however, is that, although
the arbitration tribunal may find GER
tain territory to belong to Venezuela.
and may even find that there are no
equities which should prevent her hav-
ing 1t; whether she gets 1t or not, Is to
depend upon the good pleasure Of
Great Britain. Secretary Olney ar
CUES that to meet the case, Lord Sails
bury's plan must be amended by add
ing one or more members to the COM
| mission, so that 1t can reach a result
and not become abortive; that the COM
mission shall have power to ascertain
the facts pertaining to the occupation
of disputed territory by British SUBJ
jects, and that the proviso for the ex-
ception of territory occupied by British
subjects could be stricken out or re-
placed by a proviso giving to their oc-
cupation only such weight as equity
and international law require.
On the same date, Secretary Olney
notified Sir Julian that our govern
ment would not be at liberty to in
clude the Venezuelan boundary case
within the scope Of a general arbitra-
| ton treaty, although it would welcome
settlement of that controversy by a
specia. treaty.
In the last letter Of the series, dated
June %, Secretary Olney devotes him
self to answering Lord Salisbury's
statements respecting the general ar
bitration proposition. He says that he
cannot reply to the suggestion that a
separate convention, based upon the
| first three articles Of the draft should
be made. He refers to Lord Salisbury's
plea for freedom Of action as meaning
deliberately to say his lordship's real
position is that there shall be no gem
uine arbitration at all; there shall be
the usual forms and ceremonies. a so