Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-23
THE VENEZUELAN CONTROVERSY,

'.Ss,AhJ bcAoTe tHb pupiC ulluu III ono
OF the very oldest with which the
Foreign Office has still to deal. 1t is,
in fact, exactly 100 years old. In 1895
the colony called British Guiana be-
came ours by right of conquest from
the Dutch, and all that has ever been
claimed by Great Britain is that the
Dutch frontier But it was very
natural, as anybody may easily con.
vince himself by consulting map of
those large and sparsely peopled regions
that the boundary should never have
been clearly determined in the Duich
colonial days; and, in fact. British
Lieutenant-G Governor in 1904 was con-
tent to describe it by tho vague phrase
the Spanieh settlements in the Ori-
noco = As the country became more
valuable and populous, there was dur
ing tho first half Of the century dis
cussion, frequently renewed, between
the British government and that Of the
old Spanish colony. which at that
time had become independent, but
nothing was ever definitely settled.
The British contention was that the
Dutch possessions had extended to the
extreme limit Of the watershed of all
whereas the Venezuelan government
claimed very considerable stretch of
territory to the south and east of this
In lS4O Sir II. Schomburgk drew. on
the part Of Great Britain. defining
line which divided about midway the
disputed lands; and 10 years later the
two governments agreed to regard
large extent as neutral territory, pend
81 Nh..., .s.l
claims. The British government, how.
ever, has never since 1910 admitted that
there could be any dispute as to its title
to the lands up to the Schomburgk line,
though 1t has often expressed willing
ness to come to compromise with re-
gard to the lands between that limo and
the watershed, and has sometimes
offered for the sake of settlement
concessions even within the line
Tho existence of gold fields just with
in the line has lately excited the Ven
ezuelans, and not long ago one of their
posts crossed tho Cuyuni river, which
is part Of tho Schomburgk line, and
planted the Venezuelan flag on land
which had been proclaimed in 1886 as
definitely British. Early in the present
year small force Of British police we're
so but were afterwards arrested by
the Venezuelan authorities and carried
into Venezuelan territory. The British
government naturally could not put up
with such an outrage as the arrest of
its officers by foreign power in terri
tory which it had officially proclaimed
its own, and demand for reparation
was made by Lord Salisbury, though
not till after period had elapsed
amply sufficient for the Venezuelan
government to have expressed Its re-
gret had 1t wished 10 do so.
Unfortunately, diplomatic relations
have been for some years broken off be-
tween Great Britain and Venezuela, so
that the friendly discussion and ar
rangement of disputes have been ren.
dered somewhat difficult For long
time, too, Venezuela has been endeavor-
ing by every means in it's power to ap-
peal TO the anti English feeling in the
United States. In hundreds OF news
papers, whose names are unknown
beyond their city or theirH district, but
which have within those limits GER
tain influence, something like cam
paign has long been carried on against
what the writer's are pleased to repre-
sent as British greed and aggressive
ness, without any illusion to the fact
that the boundaries now claimed be-
longed 100 years ago to our predecessors
in title. All this would, of course,
have had no Importance, bad not the
Washington government chosen, for
purposes which are differently repre-
sented by friends and by opponents, TO
adopt strongly anti English attitude.
Not long after Mr.. Olney succeeded
the late Mr.. Gresham rs Secretary of
State, lengthy dispatch on the Venez-
uelan question was sent to the Ameri-
can embassy in London, presenting the
history of il from the Venezuelan
point of view and endeavoring, though
in tones as yet moderate, to bring il
within the scope of thu Monroe doe.
trine. To this Lord Salisbury replied
in dlspatch ut once courteous and
firm, travcrsing some Of the historical
statements, declining the invitation
of Mr. Olney 70 submit the whole ques-
tion to arbitration, but once more de
claring tho willingness of the British
government t. submit to arbitration
the only part of the question which
could be in tho least doubtful namely,
the respective claims of Grcat Britain
and Venezuela beyond the SchomburgIs
line.
Most sensible Americans, and nearly
every EDgllshman except Il few shrewd
observers VINO had watched the pro
ceedings OF the jingon press, expect
that the matter would eventually be
| closed. in some such way aa Lord Sails
bury suggested Tho very last thing
that they anticipated was Il serious
alarm of war between two great and
kindred nations on question which
| to 30 out of every hundred was supreme
ly unimportant, and with regard to a
region of which about tho same pro-
portion were absolutely ignorant. About
month ago President Cleveland, ac.
companied by MIR. Olney, went on a
duck'shuotlng expedition to the coast
of North Carolina, and for some time
was lost TO sight, even to the keen
sight Of the American newspaper re-
| porter. Meanwhile the now Congress
met, and it soon became evident thai
during the mOment0us fortnight the
President had not given his mind
wholly to sport. On Tuesday, Dccem-
her 18th, he sent 10 Congress message
which, taking the Venezuelan question
out pf tho category of minor matters in
| which till then everybody had been
SuhtNut 'p rave lt' utCldreu III INV lrsl
| PLACE that it was of deep concern to
the Unified States: in the second that
Lord 5alisbury's refusal of a general
arbitration was a grave infringement
of the Monroe doctrine; and in the
third that Congress must authorize the
President tn appoint Boundary Com,
mission, the finding OF which would bC
imposed upon Great Britain by all the
resources OF the United States. From
the surprise and shock caused by such
/ a fnnaannn rnithnr Nn nnr the ILnitn