The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-06-24

huHitdllon belNeen the SeabOurd ana
the Disputed Territory.
GEORGETOWN, British Guiana, June "a
Harrison, the British official who was
arrested by an armed force of Venezuolans
on June 10, is the crown surveyor. The
affair has caused much indignation and
excitement here, although nobody seems
surprised at the incident as the Venezue-
lans have repeatedly declared that they in
tended to put a stop to British road max
Ing in or about the disputed territory.
1t is pointed out here that Harrison was
working, with n force of about hundred
laborers and engineers, well within the
Schomburgk line opening up a road from
the Barima to the Cuyuni river. When
notified by the colemander of a force of
Venezuelan troops to stop work Harrison
did so under protest, and promptly entered
into communication with Sir Augustus
Hemming the new governor of British
Guiana. Governor Hemming notified
Harrison to offer no resistance TO the
Venezuelans, who claimed the right TO ar
rest foreigners on the left bank of the
Cuyuni river. Harrison carried out his
instructions, but his arrest seems to have
followed upon the receipt Of additional in
structions from Caracas.
1t was this movement of the Venezuelan
troops and the arrest of Harrison which
led, it is said, to the alarming reports of
the advance of Venezuelan troops into the
disputed territory, which rumors were fol-
lowed by the circulation of stories of san
culinary encounters between the British
and Venezuelans. The reports of blood
she'd however, are not believed at George
town, although it is quite possible that
there may have been a clash between Har-
rison's laborers and the Venezuelans
The colonial officials state that no British
have crossed the SchoInburgk line except
to visit the Venezuelans or to send them
help, as in the case of the recent fire at FL
Dorado, when half that station was de-
stroyed. The feeling here is that Great
Britain cannot delay action much longer,
as the Venezuelans, according to the
British, seem determined to provoked CON
flict without waiting for the report Of the
United States commission.
On the other hand, unbiased judges of
the situation hold that the crown surveyor
and his 100 laborers might very well have
been kept here until all danger of a con-
| flict was passed, and that the work of sur
veying and road building, even near the
disputed territory, was calculated to ex-
trouble at a moment when a spark is liable
to start most serious conlagration.
| No military man is foolish enough to
really pretend that the crown surveyor
was engaged in the work other than that
| of preparing for eventualities by improy-
! ing the lines of communication between
| the seaboard and the territory in dispute,
and therefore it seems difficult to blame
! the Venezuelans for having put a stop TO
! HaTison's operations In fact 1t Is
rumored that the crown surveyors arrest
was not ordered until it became plain that
his outward stopping of work and retreat
under protest were merely moves intended
| TO deceive the Venezuelans, and that he
was pushing the surveying and road max
ing secretly, while apparently having
stopped work in obedience TO the remon-
strances of the Venezuelans.
The actual facts in the case, naturally,
are kept secret by the British officials, who
1t is understood, have cabled a full report
on the subject to the colonial office. The
people here are rapidly getting tired of the
whole dispute, especially of the bunglina
treatment which the really serious bound,
ary dispute is receiving In London, and II
g feared that the hands of all concerned
may be forced, sooner or later, by "a con
tlict on the border which might have been
avoided had the dispute between British
Guiana and Venezuela been handled more
promptly and effectively by the home gov
ernment.
The iingoes here are loud in their de-
nunciation of the so-called Outrage
upon the crown surveyor and are loudly
demanding that his release must be imme
diately brought about by Great Britain
even if resort TO arms must follow il
order to bring about this result.
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