The herald., 1897-03-01
BOUNDARY OF VENEZUELA.
Will Be Decided When the Arbi-
traitors Meet
A FORMAL REPORT IS MADE
By the Commission Appointed to Ex.
anime Evidence
No Boundary Was Located But the commis-
sion Thinks Itself to Have Been
Of Sonc Use
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-The report
Of the committee appointed by the presi-
dent to determine the true divisional line
between Venezuela and British Guiana,
though voluminous document lacks
the interest which might have attached
to 1t, owing to the fact that the COM
mission did not make a report Of the
boundary question, leaving that to be
determined by the arbitration decided
upon between the two countries most
interested. Great Britain and Venezuela.
The report speaks of the difficulty it
encountered at the outset on account Of
the novelty OF the work to be taken,
because the commission had no prece-
dent to guide 1t, and as its results were a
matter of deepest Importance, especial
reference Is made to the evident desire
on the part of the two governments d.
rectly concerned to aid the commission
in its investigation. Every call for In
formation or documents was promptly
responded to. Eulogistic words are
spoken of the individual citizen Of this
country for proffering and furnishing
books and papers or other documents in
their possession which might seem to
give aid In reaching an ultimate deter
mination of the problems they have be.
fore them are many.
In conclusion the report says:
May we not properly advert to the
fact that while In consequence of the
recent treaty between the two nations
specially interested, which was brought
about by the active demand Of this gov
ernment, our work has been terminal
ed. the commission has been a factor Of
no inc0nsiderable Importance in the So
Tuition Of the problem. 1t may be in
appropriate for us to enter into any de-
fense Of the action of congress in au-
thorising its creation, and yet 1t may
not be amiss to notice that at that time
there had been developed and was ex-
isting no little bitterness OF feeling be-
tween the people of Great Britain and
the United States; talk Of war was
abundant. and the business interests Of
both nations were affected pretudfciaily
by the possibility of conflict
The commission, while II had no abso
lutte power of determining the question
at issue, was accepted as affording
means for full investigation of the
question in dispute. and for an ascer-
tainment by gentlemen impartial and
disinterested Of the facts respecting the
disputed boundary. The general belief
that a full disclosure Of the facts In re-
.spect to this trouble would open the way
to some peaceful solution of the dispute
promptly allayed apprehension OF war.
and all waited until this commission
should complete Its examination.
mot only was this apprehension of
conflict ailayed. but each nation seemed
to feel that the creation Of the COM
mission was equivalent to an invitation
to the contesting nations to appear be-
fore the bar of public opinion and mako
each its showing as to the merits Of its
claim.
TT is not strange that, under the In
f1uence Of this, each nation proceeded not
merely to state Its contentious. but to
examine the various repositories of evil
dence in Spain, Holland, Rome. Lon
don, Georgetown and Caracas, for proof
of facts to sustain such contention. and
the many volumes of original matter
taken from these repositories since the
appointment of the commission have
been printed, have thrown a flood of
light upon the question. More than
that. as each nation has made thus In
it's examination of his
torical and other facts, 1t would seem
that each has become impressed with the
conviction that the question Is one of
such nature as to justify reference to an
tribunal; that there Is 10
such absolute certainty Of right on the
part of either as to justify a more
forcible assertion thereof and that the
question Is really one calling for judicial
and determination. A wise
and just view of the case is that the COM
mission has been a potent factor in
the two nations into a consent
to submit the matter In dispute to an
arbitral tribunal. We are not blind To
the fact that the air today is full of ar
bitration as a just and proper way to
settle international disputes. and we can
not but hope that this commission has
helped to the cohsummation of such d
happy result generally. as well as In re-
spect to this particular dispute"