New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-27
ENGLAND'S- FALSE CLAIMS.
THE VENEZUELAN BLUE BOOK.
Ex-MINIsTER sCRUGGs RIDDLES ITS PRE-
TENSIONS TO HISTORICAL ACCURACY

TENSIONS TO HISTORICAL ACCURACY.
BLuNDERs AND MEASUREMENTS ABOUT THE
SPANISH AND DUTCH POSSESSIONS AND
ENGIANDs. CHAINS TO vENEz-
UEI.AN TERRITORY.
Washington. April 2s (SpecaD.-Wiliiam L.
Gcruggs ex-Minister Of the United states to Nenez
uela and an acknowledged authority on all matters
relating to the Venezuela Guiana boundary dispute
In discussing further falacics OF the recently
nub,,shed British Blue Book on the Venezuelan ques-
ton. said to-day:
1.-The British Blue Book OF Marcus 1896. entitled
Documents and Correspondence Relating 10 the
Question OF boundary Between British Guaya"a
and Venezuela, is perhaps as clever presentation
Of the English side Of the the facts and cir
cumstances would admit True. II seems to have
greatly disappointed the English people; pa' "s
faults and failures chargeable less TO the advo
cate Of bad cause than 30 the inherent weakness
of the cause Itself.
I'm SO far as It's mistakes were forcshadowed or
adopted in Lord Saiisbury's note Of November last,
and subsequently, by published synopsis they have
received due attention already There are. how
ever some additional statements in the oook whch
may be thought worthy of notice. phey may De
briefly summarized as follows:
IL That prior &c 1896 the Spaniaros had estap-
ished no settlements in Guyana; and inferentiai-
w. that no part of the country was then In their
possession
"2. That in 1913. at the time of Che Treaty Of
Minister the Dutch settlements extended westward
10 the Orinoco and southwark beyond the Cuyunt;
and inferent,aily that the whole OF Gnayana' win
the possible exception OF the Caroni valley va q
Dutch possession .~.s7 p t-
q .'3 That up to 1923 the Spaniards mad Out one
settlement in Guayana. and that was at SAINT
Thome on the Upper Orinoco; and. inferenuaiv'
that the Lower Orinoco. including It's immense
delta was under Dutch dominion. -
- That up to 1896 the Spanish settlements were
limited to "a few Capuchin missions and two VII
ages above the old town Of Saint Thome and, in
ferentaify that the Datch held sih ene balance Oh
the territory east and south OF the Ornoco.
'5 That this Dutch occupancy, which Is Claimed
20 have extended to the Ornoco delta and Point
Barima was known to the Spanish Government,
which however lnterposed no objection, or al ieast
failed to dispossess' the Dutch.
os That subsequently, to 1895 Great Britain has
continuously remained in possession and her. SUD-
1ects have occupied further portions OF the terri
cory to which the Dutch had established theirtitle
while these assumptions are wholly unsustained
by historical evidence, or even by the very ci'a-
tions and extracts produced In the Blue Book they
shall be treated with all due Difference and with
theIutmost fairness e. "'s.. .-s 10 = 20
SOME ADMITTED FACTS. ~
1.-THE following propositions are rowhere deniel'
even in the Blue Book viz: o..
81. That in Nss Columbus. sailing under Spanish
commission, was the first dscoverer OF the enf OF
Para and the Orinoco delta. = - -
"2. That in 1899 Alonzo de Ojeda, Spanish sub
Sect sailing under Spanish coInmission n, was the rst
dscoverer of the Atlantic coasts OF Guayana; that
he ekirted the entire from the Ornoco to the
Marovine and beyond landing many places and
taking formal possession In tha name of the Span
ash Government
"a That In 1900 Vicente Yanez Pinzon. another
Spanish subject, likewise sailing under royal COM
.nn nr dol
taking formal possession of its numerous estuaries
and islands including Boca de NavioS and the island
OF Barima in the name of his sovereign; =
~ That in 1881 Diego de Ordaz. another Spanish
subject was the first to- explore the Ornoco RIVER,
which he assembled as far as the mouth or the Meta
taking formal possession Of both banks and of its
1oumerots asfaents in the NAME OF hts sovereign,
'6 That It was this Ordaz who received
from the Spanish monarch the first Eprspean char
ter of lands and government in the territories thus
discovered and explored. 5 ..
&c That these first discoveries. explorers and
grantees compiled With all the requisite formalites
Of international law. as that law was then recos-
uized and understood necessary to invest title In
tho King OF Spain.
'rhese are historical facts universally ac-
cepted that It seems almost superhuous to burden
this paper with ponderous citations. When. them
and under what circums tances did Spain relinquish
her possessions In Guayana?
STRANGE OMISSION.
"Before proceeding to the consideration Of this
query, perhaps 1t may be well to state in pass
ing Especially since 1t is strangely omitted In the
Blue Book that early as 1873 In order to follow
op Ojeda's explorations, the Spanish Emperor agreed
With Dutch mercantile house to protect colony
b be cent ox BY them TO The northeastern coast Of
Guayana; and that this was the origin OF the AL
finger expedition Of 1880 which. however, came to
aaught.
THE next year. 1881. expedition inland, by way
Of the Ornoco, fitted out from Spain under
Ordax who penetrated to the valleys Of the Cuyun
ana Yuruary. This became the only foundation Tor
the pretended discovery Of the tabled Ell Dorado
eixty years afterward Of which Sir Walter Raleigh
speaks
I'm 1884 the Dutch made an attempt to penetrate
the Interior of what Is now Venezuela. The expe-
dition was headed by George Of Spires. but was
under the imperial sanction and patronage OF the
King Of Spain, who was then also ttular Emperor
of Holland. Spires started from Spain with 400
men, landed near where the present city OF Coro
stands penetrated some Cp miles into tfe INTERIOR
and returned with the few survivors In 1888.
I'm 1919 Ursula, Spanish subject. who had super
e<ded Armendariz, another Spanish subject. OBJ
tained command Of an expedition and founded a
town in Guayana far in the interior. which. how
ever he had to abandon in 1852, owing to the hos
tllty Of the Indians According to the most resia-
bic chronicles Of the time, Ursua ascended the Rio
Negro passed through the Casiquiari Channel TO
the Orinoco. and thence down the Orinoco to the
- Atlantic Ocean. Thus as early as 1919 the Span
iards had completely circumnavigated the whole OF
Guayana.
: "In 1858 the Spanish Government mapped out the
country and appointed Pedro Malaver de Silva and
. Diego Fernandez de Serpa Governors; the first
over the part Of the Ornoco. the second over
the eastern section Of the delta
9. sIR WALTER RALEIGH's VOYAGE
e. THE compilers Of the Blue Book assert that In
1856 Dutch settlements formed near the mouth
OF the Ornoco.' But 1t was precisely in 1885 that
Sir Walter Raleigh made his first voyage to the ISL
and Of Trinidad and thence through Boco de Navios
IN the Orinoco to the mouth OF the Caroni He re-
ported that. after first overcoming the Spanish
forces at Trinidad, he assembled the great river as
stated where be found the Spaniards had pre-