The herald., 1896-03-13
THE VENEZUELAN QUESTION
Said to Have Proceeded to q
Settlement
THE TERMS ARE OUTLINED
OF the AmicabIe Arrangement Of the
Dispute
blank Den'ais, But Hope for Peaceful
and Honorable Settlement

Associated Press Special Wire.
CHICAGO, March 12.-A special dispatch
to the Chronicle from Washington says: A
settlement of the Venezuelan question has
been reached. 1t will be announced at an
early day. of this satisfactory conclusion
of the controversy the president has had
knowledge for two days past. Great Britain
has acted with a magnanimity which com.
Inends her to the severest critics. She con-
cedes so much that there will be- little left
to arbitrate should arbitration be necessa-
ry. 1t is not improbable that the entire
matter may be settled outside the Venezue.
Ian commission by the president and Lord
Salisbury.
Under the terms, so far as outlined Great
Britain agrees to submit all questions in
dispute to amicable adjustment, with the
president, through the state department,
as one of the contracting parties. That
Venezuela would agree to almost anything
suggested by the United States has been
known all along. 1t is surmsed that the
attitude of some of the Influential London
papers in pointing out alleged defects in
the British blue book may have something
to do with the change of attitude by Queen
Victoria's ministers.
NO SETTLEMENT REACHED
WASHINGTON, March 12.-It can be
stated positively. notwithstanding publica-
tions to the contrary, that no settlement
has vet been reached on the Venezuelan
question, but according to The best author.
lily matters are proceeding in such fashion
as to warrant belief that there will be
sne, -
not be told whether the ultimate settle.
ment of this question will be effected as a
result of direct negotiations between
Great Britain and Venezuela, initiated
through the medium of some friendly
power, or as the conclusion of the work of
our own Venezuelan boundary commits
sion; but in one way or another. peaceful
and honorable settlement is believed to he
entirely probable in the end. though that
end may still be far removed.
If negotiations directly between vene-
fact is known to officials here, who should
surely be advised for their own guidance,
and as the Venezuela commission is pro-
ceeding diligently to the discharge of it's
duty Of weighing all of the evidence obtain
able respecting the actual location of the
boundary line and in this has been assured
of the corporation informally, it is true,
as to Great Britain, but none the less ef-
fectua!ly) of both parties in the dispute,
the public expectation appears to turn in
that direction. Owing to the limited num-
ber of advance copies of the British blue
book containing the British case
far. the commission has been
obliged to struggle along with one
single copy. which is of course inadequate
for the simultaneous study of all OF the
members, but it is expected that within
day or two the mails will bring sufficient
supply of the documents from London to
facilitate the progress of the work.
Meanwhile, SO far as the document has
been examined, it can be stated that it is
not regarded as bearing out the promises
of invulnerablity claimed for it in London.
In fact, it is IN many points regarded as
open to impeachment as to actual histori-
cal events recited.
NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW
LONDON, March 1.-THE permanent un-
der secretary of state for foreign aft airs,
Sir Thomas Henry Sanderson, was asked
today if the report cabled from the United
States that a settlement of the Venezuelan
question had been reached was correct. He
said: "For all | know settlement may
be near, but have not heard of its attain
ment."
The under secretary of state for foreign
affairs, George N. Curzon, replying to a
question in .he house of commons today,
sa d the government had no information as
to a settlement of the Venezuelan question
having been arrived at.
The Daily News this morning states that
negotiations on the Guiana boundary dis
pute continue, "but the question upon
which both Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Olney
have made mutually unaccep able PROPOSE
tions refers to the treatment of the settled
districts. If an agreement is reached on
this point, the boundary dispute will be
referred to joint commission of English
men and Americans. Mr.. Cnrzon, the
parliamentary secretary of the foreign
office. made a statement in parliament on
the subject on Monday"
With respect to the rumor from WASH
ington that settlement had been arrived at,
the Daily News suggests that ii means that
joint commission has been agreed to.
The Daily News also gives u long eXpla-
nation of the flaws which have been pointed
out by oihsr London newspapers in the
British case in dispute and admits that
slips have crept into the blue book.
"Such errors are unfortunate,' it con-
tinues, "but are almost unavoidable in
dealing with an immense mass of docu-
ments. But they do not substantially i'm
pair the cogency of the British case.'