Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-01
ro INVESTIGATE BOUNDARIES
Venezuelan Commission submits It's
Report TO the President.

Venezuelan
Report TO the President.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-The report OF
the commission appointed by the president
to determine the true divisional line between
Venezuela and British Guiana, though a
vouminous document lacks the interest
which might have attached to it. owing to
the fact that the commission did not make
a report on the boundary question, leaving
that TO be determined by the arbitratore de-
ciled upon between the two, governments
nest interested, Great Britain and Vene-
zuela.
The report speaks OF the difficulty 1t en-
anuntered at the outset on account OF the
| novelty of the work to be undertaken, be-
cause the commission had no precedent to
| guide it, and as it's results we're n matter
| of deepest Importance especial reference i5
made to the evident desire on the part OF
| the two govrnments concerned to aid the
| commission in its investigation Every call
| for information or documents was promptly
/ responded to. The eulogistic words spoken
| Of the individual citizens of this country for
proffering and furnishing books and pamph-
| lets or other documents In their possession
which might seem to have aided In reaching
| an ultimate determination OF the problems
they had before them, are many. In conclu-
sion the report says:
May we not properly advert to the fact
, that while in consequence OF the recent
| Interested which treaty was brought ABOUT
| by the active efforts of this government,
our own work has been terminated, the
| commission has been n factor of no incon-
siderable Importance in the solution OF the
problem. 1t may be inappropriate for us
| to enter into any defense of the action OF
congress in authorz ng its creation, and
yet it may not be amiss to notice that
at that time there had developed ana was
existing no little bitterness of FEELING be.
| tween the people of Great Britain and ol
the United States; talk of war was abun-
dant. and the business Interests of ootf on
possibilities of conflict. The appointment
of the commission, though It had no apso,
lutte power of determining the question a.
issue, was accepted affording means
for "a full investigation OF the question II
dispute, and for an ascertainment by gen
tlemen impartial and disintefested, of the
facts respecting the controverted boundary
The general belief that a fun disclosure
question would open the way to SOM som,
peaceful solution of the dispute promptly
allayed the apprehensions of war, and al
completed it examination. Not only wa:
this apprehension of conflict allayed, hu
each nation seemed to feel that the crea
ton of the commission was equivalent Il
an invitation to the two coniesting nations
10 appear before the bar OF public opinion
and make each showing as 10 the merits
it's claims.
1t is not strange that under the influence
If this each nation proceeded, not merel!
to state it's contentious, but to examine
the various repositories of evidence II
Spain. Holland, Rome, London, Georgetown
and Caracas, for proof of facts to sustain
such contentious; and the many volume
} of original matter taken from. these de
the commission, have been printed hav
thrown flood of lightS Upon the question
More than that, as each nation has mad
independently its examination of hstorica
and other facts, Il woula seem that eacl
has become impressed withsthe conviction
that the question isaone OF such natur
as to justify reference to an arbitral tri
I
tainty of right on the part of either as t
justify mere forcible assertion thereof
: and that the question is really one callm
for judicial examination and determination
| A wise and Just view OF the case is tina
the commission has been a potent facto
in bringing the two nations into con
sent to submit the matter in dispute to a
arbitral tribunal. We are not blind 10 tn
; fact that the air today is full of arbitra
: ton as, a just and proper way to settle in
n ternational disputes and we can but hop
= that this commission has helped to tn
! consummation of such a happy result ger
= orally, as well as in respect 10 this part Gu
Il lar dispute. ~