The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-03
SALISBURY WAS WRONG
Arbitration Treaty with venezu'
ella Agreed to by Granville.
TOOK In BOUNDARY DISPUTE
AnDifferences That Mighr 4 rise We're
Included and Not Only Those Rel,it-
Ing to Interpretatic.i OF the Treaty.
Present British Premier Revoked
the Agreement.

The State Department Is 10 Il pcsition
to couclusively prove the statement Of TO.
days London Chronicle. cabled By The
United Press, that it has learned, on the
nshest authority that Earl Granville 10
1900 virtually concluded with Bianco O
treaty Containing an arbitration clause
covering the Venezuelan International
boundary dispute" and that THE Marquis
Oh salisbury, however, on coming into
power later in the same year virtually eau
ceiled this clause by limiting the provisions
OF the treaty 10 commercial questions"
The Chronicle adds that Nothing could
have been more unfortunate, inasmuch as
The boundary dispute was on the eve Ut
perma Deut settlement"
The records which Venezuela had al.
ready delivered TO The United States gov
ernnicnt, before the administration took
such firm stand in The matter with Eng
land, leave no doubt whatever on this
point.
PROVIDING FOR ARBITRATION.
Gen. Guzmap Blauco in 1855 nerutlaIc,1
win Earl Granville q treaty OF unit j, Cum
iherce and navigation 10 supplant the ex-
istlng convention OF 1895 between Great
Britain and Venezuela. The new treaty i'll
Guided three paragraphs providing for the
-
related particularly To- the boundary dis
pute. Earl Granyiile's letter accepting spe.
cifically The important clause ia its Gu.
tirety Is as follows: a.,
Foreign office, May is, 1883.
N lie MiDistre: ] have the honor TO
acknowledge the receipt ON tine 9Th in.
slant OF your note, dated the 9Th Instant
respecting the proposed new treat be. wccn
Great Britain and Venezuela. In reply,
j have the honor to inform you that h-r
majesiy's government agree TO the sutJ-
stitutioD OF the phrase power to be
chosen by the high contracting parties
Instead or 'arbiirItors' in the article re-
speeding arbitration, and that they fur
ther agree that the undertaking TO refer
differences TO arbitration shall include an
differences which may arise between the
high contracting parties, ana not those
oGIy which arise on the Interpretation Of
the treaty.
Her najesty's government Is alnO pre-
pared to meet generally the wishes ot
the Venezuelan government as to river
navigation and CoaSttng trade as con-
necied with it, but beg leave to point OUT
that this exception 10 most favored nation
or national treatment should not interfere
with ocean-going steamers touching con.
seCutively at two or more ports Of the re-
public.
HOPES TREATY MA Y BE NEGOTIATED.
with regard 10 the arrangements made
by Venezuela with Colombia. / have the
honor to state that her naJesjy's govera-
ment VIII agree that the provisions OF tho
most favored nation article proposed by
them shall not include special arrangements
with regard To local trade entered into by
VencZucla with respect to traffic across the
land frontier.
II trust that these notifications win
meet your views, ana that / may shortly
near from you that i formal draft treaty
framed on that with Paraguay with the adj
d1iion of an article respecting arbi; ration
and the alterations in the most favored
nation supulations now suggested, may
De- prepared for your approval ain etc,
tSienedl GRANVILLE"
Less than two months afterwards the
treaty was fully concluded, bu, the Gladstone
government was overthrown a this cine on
questions wholly disconnected from VeBez-
Uelan matters, which Were conducted in
secret. and Lord Salisbury. succeeding Earl
Granville as foreign secretary. found It in
cuinbent upon himself TO complete the ne
gotIations which he immediately proceeded
TO do by sending Gen. GUZInan note on
July 81, absolutely reversing Earl Gran
viIIe's action. The portion of the note
referring to this clause is follows.
Her Maiesty's government are unable 20
ouC4r tiie assent gwen DE sf.Ir pre-
decessorS in office to the general arbitration
article proposed by Venezuela, and they are
unable TO agree TO the inclusion in It of
matters other than these arising out ot the
or alleged violation OF tbs
particular treaty.
ARBITRATION REPUDIATED.
ITO engage TO refer to arbitration all
disputes and controversies whatsoever
would be without precedent in the treaties
made By Great Britain. Questions might
arise such as those involving the title OF the
British crown To territory or other sovereign
rights which Her MIJesty's government
could not pledge themselves beforehand 10
refer to arbitration
This letter removed all doubt as 70 the
terms or Earl Granville's agreement, for
Lord Salisbury distinctly put such a con-
struction on the treaty (which he ccncedes
was assented) that the title to the ter
ritory Of the British crown colony OF Guiana
had TO be arbitrlted under Its specific TERMS
This throws an entirely new and unfavor-
able light on a portion Of Lord Saiisbury's
retort to Secretary Olney in the latter
part OF the foreign office dispatch OF
November 20 last, in which lie says
Mr.. Olney is mistaken In surprising that
in 1856 n treaty was practically agreed
upon containing n general arbitration
clause under which the parties might
have submitted the boundary dispute 10
the decision OF n third power or Of several
powers i'll Gmity with both II is true
mat Gen. Guzrnan Blanco proposed that the
treaty between the two coun-
tries should contain clause or this nature,
but il had reference to future disputes
only
Lord Salisbury deemed proper In this
dispatch to underscOre the word future
and ii was printed In italics in the foreign.
office official document. That there Is an
equivocation in this statement can hardly
be doubted in connection with Salisbury's
own earlier letter to Guzman B'anco 5ld