The San Francisco call., 1896-11-12
MANY MESSAGES
OVER THE CABLE
Protocol of the Venezuelan
Treaty Not Yet
Signed.
Continuous Correspondence Be-
tween Washington and
London.
FINE DIPLOMATIC sPARRING.
Salisbury and o oney Carefully Survey
Every Inch of Debatable
Ground.
FINE DIPLOMATIC sPARRING.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 1.-THE
fact that the protocol OF the proposed
Venezuelan treaty of arbitration has not
yet been signed is made manifest by many
signs to-day. There has been q continu-
Gus exchange of cable messages on mat
tiers of detail between this city and Lon
don. But that some general principle of
agreement has been determined upon is
undoubted, and has been repeatedly stated
in these dispatches.
The question of whether or not Vene-
zuela is a party to the agreement appears
to be settled by the official correspondence
and by collateral facts. When Secretary
Olney, on behalf of Venezuela, made his
first peremptory demand of Great Britain
for arbitration, Lord Salisbury, after long
delay, responded with two vigorous let
tiers. One of them attacked the Monroe
doctrine. claiming that Mr.. Olney was
stretching it too far. The other attacked
the Venezuelan demands, asserting that
. they were exorbitant.
Then President Cleveland sent into Con-
gress his famous Christmas message, and
Lord Salisbury, on May % last, wrote to
Sir Julian Pauncesote accepting for the
first time the principles of arbitration,
but only in partial form, and confining
it to Great Britain and the United States.
He asked Sir Julian to submit this propo-
sition "to the Government of the United
States, acting as the friend of Venezuela
in this matter"
His proposition was for commission
to be created by agreement between Great
Britain and the United States, to be COM
posed of two British subjects and two citi-
zens OF the United States, to investigate
and report upon the facts without refer
ring to inferences, but the finding of the
commission to be binding upon both Gov
ernments.
In this letter he distinctly specified the
United States and not Venezuela as the
party OF the second part. but still there
was contained a proposition in Lord
Saisbury's letter to Sir Julian which
seemed to imply some necessity for con-
sent on the part of Venezuela, inasmuch
as 1t was provided that on the report of the
commission being issued the two Govern
ments OF Great Britain and Venezuela
should s'endeavor to agree to boundary
line, and failing agreement there should
be arbitration by three-one by Grea,
Britain, ore by Venezuela and they to Sc
lect third-with ppoviso that all settle
ments OF British subjects prior to January
l, 1857 were 10 be exem pied.
On June y. 1896, Secretary Olney ac-
cepIed this challenge with most impor-
tant mod1hca ions, since acceded to, pro-
vidlng that the commission should be
amended by adding another member, so
that 1t must reach result, and also pro-
vided that the commission should have
power to decide the boundary question
subject 10 the equities of each particular
case OF actual settlers (since limited to
fifty years of undisturbed occupation).
Nowhere after this date does Venezuela
appear in the negotiations as principal
or as having right to select an arbitrator.
In support OF the idea that the treaty is to
be between Great Britain and the United
States, the latter acting as Venezuela s
friend, 1t is pointed out that il
the formal assent of that republic
is required to any protocol on the
boundary question it could not be OBJ
tanned under most favorable considera
tions until long after the ADMINISTRATION OF
President Cleveland will have expired by
limitation. The constitution OF Venezuela
requires all treaties to be ratified by vote
of both houses of the Legislature in Joint
session. The Legislature of Venezuela
does not convene in regular session until
February next. Even If an extra session
were to be called it would take five weeks
notice TO get it together. Under the usua.
methods of procedure in Latin Am erican
countries the summer of 1897 would be
well advanced before the Legislature
would be ready to begin to consider the
OraSfi0p