The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-11-27
OSCAR II, Is UMPIRE.
ARBITRATOR IN THE vENE-
ZUELA CASE.
All Details Arranged-It Covers venezuela
Only--The General Treaty is to be Ar
range DISQUALIFICATION Commission
to Consist of Five Arbitrators.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1s.-The king of
Sweden and Norway, Oscar H., has
been chosen by treaty between the
United States and Great Britain as the
fifth official arbitrator OF the Venezue-
Ian boundary question. The other ar
bitrators, four in number, are to be
designated, two by the lord chief JUS
tice Of England and two by the chief
justice of the United States. This is
the final and most important feature
of the treaty for the complete adjust
ment of the long pending Venezuelan
controversy. The treaty was con-
Guided in Washington Monday night at
the British embassy, Sir Julian Paunce-
fote representing her Britannia
majesty and Secretary olney the
United States.
The other essential feature of the
treaty is that fifty years actual pos
session is to constitute title. With this
limitation as to the settled districts,
the entire sweep of the Venezuela
boundary is placed in the court of ar
bitration. The treaty covers only Vene-
zuela, and the question of general ar
u Dc U"teu Vic OHlIGu DGdUcS
and Great Britain is left to future ne
gotiations.
AS a king seldom leaves his country
eigns, it is not expected that King
Oscar II. will go outside Of Sweden for
the arbitration, and the court is likely
to sit at Stockholm, the capital Of
Sweden, where King Oscars Swedish
reksdag is located.
The choice of King Oscar appears to
have been a most fortunate one, as he
is universally regarded as a man of
great attachments, of judicial tempera-
ment and Of eminent fairness. Among
the monarchs OF Europe he is probably
the most popular, as he goes freely
among the people and is thoroughly
democratic in his ways.
King Oscar has long shown a most
cordial sentiment towards the United
States and this doubtless had a part in
his selection.
The king, while most cordial to the
United States, is O the less friendly
to Great Britain, although there are no
ties Of immediate kinship with the
British royal family. He is. however,
a warm personal friend Of the Prince
Of Wales, who visited him at Stock
holm in 1885, when a royal elk hunt
through the woods of Sweden took
place.
Secretary Olney refused to make any
statement whatever touching the
boundary dispute, but it is known that
certain details yet remain to be ad-
justcd before the arbitration treaty
can be considered as an accomplished
fact. Moreover, it must be borne in
mind that any treaty before becoming
effective must be submitted to the
United States Senate for it's approval,
and this at least involves q delay of
weeks, aside from the possibility of
amendments.
From the Venezuelan standpoint,
the final agreement for any kind of ar
bitration is in itself a distinct victory.
1t has asked for arbitration for forty
years.
The understanding here is that the
entire Venezuelan boundary will be
thrown open to arbitration, it remain
ing for Great Britain to show that GER
tain portions have been occupied by
her subjects SO long, peacefully, unin-
terruptedly and publicly, as to make a
conclusive territorial presumption.
The country which it is understood this
will open to arbitration embraces all
of the east tract west Of the Esquibo
river, including the Orinoco river GU
both banks and at the mouth and the
stretch Of land on either side; also the
Barima country in which are located
the gold fields, the most valuable re-
sources of the country.
Labouchere on the Election.