The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-01-01
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
vitality Involved In the Venezuelan
Controversy.
SENATOR LODGES SPEECH,
1ntorests and Policy of the United States
Gravoly Aneoted-Rofers to At
tempt to ssize Land Along
Alaskan boundary.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8o.-Thero was o
large attendance of senator's in antioi-
patton of the vote on the reorgapiza'
ton and the galleries were filed with
holiday spectators.
Mr.. PETER pop, Kan.D presented
resolutions from several G. A. r. posts
in Kansas Offering their services to the
United States in tho event of war with
Great Britain,
The olerk of the house announced the
passage of the bond bill by I Dat body.
Mr.. Chandler (Rep., N. HID who has
been wagIng war against the interstate
commerce commission for not putting
stop to pooling arrangements, intro
duced bill to enlarge the interstate
commerce commission and modify or
increase the scope of its powers.
Mr.. Bric0 offered resolutions instruct
ing tho secretary of war tomake an ex-
animation of the physics and hydraulics
of the great lakes, and to report on7she
feasibility and cost of raising the level
of the lakes by series of dams.
Mr.. Chandler offered a resolution call
ing OH the committee on naval affairs
to inquire into the prices paid by tho
United States for armor plate; aS to
whether they were reasonablei aS to
whether they were in excess OF the pH1ce
charged foreign governmentsi as to
whether the prices had boon increassd
by reason of new patent procesgeg, ana
whether the navy department. had eA-
pedited the granting of those patents,
and whether any officers of the Unlted
States were interested in those patent
processes.
the floor. Mr.. Lodge gave a very
interesting sketch of the history OF the
Monroe doctrine and told how IT was
vitality involved in tho Venezuol9n
boundary limo controversy. he 1otIoweo
this with brief relation of the pending
diBpute between Great Britain and Ven-
ezuela. which he said had now reached
n crisis affecting most gravely the honor,
tho interests, the rights and the Well
settled policy of the United States:
If England, with no authority but q
disputed claim, seized territory and de-
clined arbitration upon it, her,aotion, he
declared did not differ from seiZing and
holding new territory in tho Americas
by light of conquest. If she could seize
territory under a claim which had
year, there was nothing to prevent her
from taking indefinite regions III South
America.
Tho senator referred to the claim
made on Venezuela by Great Britain
for reparation on account of tho arrest
of British subjects on the disputed ter
ritory. But the question of repatriation
he declared must not be mixed up with
the ACQUISITION of territory. Ii Venc-
zuela paid tho indemnity fixed and de-
manded by Great Britain, she acknowl-
edged, in So dong, that the disputed
country is British territory and made
tho whole case void. We had, he coll
tinued, neglected too long our foreign
policy and great interests of the United
States which lay beyond her borders.
We wanted the matter of the boun'
Diary dispute settled by arbitration be-
cause if settled otherwise twas blow
to a vital p inciple to the welfare and
dignity of the United States. He did
not believe che people of England had
tho least desire to engage i'll hostilities
with tho United States any moro than
we sought or desired hostilitiesg with
them. 1--WE have" said Senator Lodge,
"seen British forces at Corinto. Wo
know the attitude they assume in Vene.
zueln. They arc Attempting to take
land on the Alaskan boundary. They
have Just denounced the mo dus vivendl
and reopened in that way tho perilous
dispute of the seal fisheries 1t is not
by accident that these events have nll
occurred or all como to an acute stage
within tho past year.
The senator closed by expressing the
belief thai tho questions between En.
gland and the United States would be
peacefully settled, but he was very clear
that such settlement could only be
reached by action OH the part of con.
gross and the president, which should
maintain the Monroe doctrine absolute
" and at all hazards wherever 1t justly
applied.