Evening star., 1896-06-18
VENEZUELANS INTERFERE
Their Troops Invade the Disputed Terri
tory.
4 Party of British Surveyors MOIest-
ed and Ask Protection From the
Colonial Authorities.

LONDON, June 1S.-In the house of COM
mons today the secretary of state for the
colonies Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain, con-
firmed the report that Venezuelan troops
had entered the territory in dispute be-
tween Venezuela and British Guiana, and
had interfered with a party of British
surveyors. who had asked for the support
of the colonial authorities. MIR. Cham
Eerlan said that the colonial office had
received a telegram announcing that Ven
eZuelans had crossed the boundary and
had interfered with British officials who
were engaged iii the work of surveying
Replying to a ql estion as to whether, in
view of the extreme Importance of reach
ing basis for the settlement of the Venez-
uelan question before the presidential cleo
ton in the United States, the government
would take steps 20 expedite a settleme mt
by adopting some form Of arbitration, the
parliamentary secretary for the foreign
office, Mr.. Morgan Curzon, said that the
government had taken and was still TAX
ing steps in tEat direction, and it hoped
ere long to be able to lay upon the table
papers showing the nature Of these steps.
The Marquis of. Salisbury this afternoon
received a deputation from the Interna-
tional Arbitration League, that brought
him memorial signed by 5,351 officers of
trade and friendly societies, favoring a
and the United States The premier in
accepting the memorial expressed cordial
sympathy with the object of the signers,
and said that the government of Great
Britain had for months been in negotiation
with the government of the United States
on the subject Of arhatratirg disputes
whenever practicable.
1t was said at the State Department and
at the Venezuelan legation today that no
information had been receiver at either
place in regard to the entrance of Venezue-
Ian troops into the territory in dispute be-
tween NereZuela and British Guiana, and
in view of the remeteness of the territory
and the meagerness of Geographic facilities
there, it is not Considered surprising that
no news of the affair has reached this city
fl ON official sources.
So far as is known here the Venezuelan
force near the disputed boundary is com
therefore believed in official circles that
this incident, like the one which occurred
in Cruan more than a year ago, will not in
itself lead to a hostile clash. 1t serves,
however, to recall attention to the ever
present danger Of serious outbreak in
that quarter and the necessity for the plac-
ing Of relations between Venezuela and Gui-
ana on a more stable and satisfactory
basis.
At present notwithstanding the negotia-
tions tnat have run on fitfully between the
two countries for half a century, there is
practically nothing to prevent the forces of
either side from entering the disputed ter
ritory.
The State Department has brought its
good offices to bear on Venezuela to pre-
vent hostile demonstrations pending the an
nouncement of the decision of the Nenezue-
Ian boundary commission, but, after all,
the main restraining influence has been a
tacit understanding between the countries
involved that no fresh issues should be
raised just now. 1t is presumed that per-
haps the Nenezuelans regarded the opera
tions of the British surveyors in the dis
puted territory as an infringement Of that
understanding justifylng their attitude in
suppressing the survey. They may have
reached this conclusion because of their I'M
fortunate experience with the old Schom-
burgk line, which, being run tentatively at
first, was afterward sought to be forced
upon Venezuela as binding.