The herald., 1897-02-03
ANG0-AMER|CAN TREATIES
Signed or in Process of Settle.
ment
THE VENEZUELA BOUNDARY
Formally Given Into the Hands Of
Arbitrators
lie VENEZUELA BOUNDARY
With a Diamond Studded Pen, Paunce-
fote and Andrade Dispose Of the
Great Question.
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON Feb. '2.-As the rep
| resentatives of their respective govern
ments, Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British
ambassador, and Senior Jose Andrade,
the Venezuelan minister to Washington,
at 4:30 this afternoon, at the state de-
partment, signed a treaty providing for
the settlement by arbitration of the long
standing dispute over the boundary be-
tween Venezuela and British Guiana,
which has not only ruptured the relations
between the principals and kept them
apart automatically for years, but has
threatened to involve the two great
English-speaking nations in hostilities.
The treaty was really complete sew
eral days ago, so far as all of the details
were concerned, except the insertion of
one name, and there blank was left
to fill in with the name of British jur-
ist. Some difficulty had been expert
enced in finding the second member OF
the British supreme tribunal who was
willing to assume the arduous task of
arbitrator and also could be spared from
the bench. 1t was not until this morn
ing that word came over the cable that
such a person had been found in JUS
tice Collins, and that his appointment
had been ratified by the British privy
council, a necessary formality. So all
was ready for the signatures to the
treaty, and Mr.. Storrow, for Venezuela,
calling at the state department about
noon, arranged that the signatory per-
sons should meet about o'clock at the
state department for the purpose of
signing.
Mr.. Gridler. the chief of the diplomatic
bureau or the state department. had
prepared the copies of the treaty for
signature, both being in English, and.
unlike the general arbitration treaty.
being printed on thick red d-edged paper.
Sir Julian came to the state depart
ment just before o'clock, in company
with his attache, Henry Outram Bax-
Ironside. Senior Andrade followed in a
short time, with Mr. Storrow, and the
parties were shown at once into Secre-
tary Olney's private office, where the
secretary was awaiting them. A few
minutes delay occurred before Senor
Ronte, the attache of the Venezuelan
legation, came In, and then the party
proceeded at once to the business of the
day. Mr.. Cridler and Mr. Bax-Ironside
MADE careful comparison of the two
copies and then Sir Julian Pauncefote
signed both of them; Senor Andrade
placed his name after Sir Julian's. and
MT. Cridler affixed the seals, with the
aid OF Mr. Blankford the private sec
retary to Mr.. Olney, and the treaty was
an accomplished fact, save for the sim
gle act Of ratification by the Venezue-
Ian congress-
The signatures were written with a
special pen, beautiful gold holder and
nib, tipped with an eagle feather and
ornamenred with gold heart studded
with diamonds. This was sent for the
purpose from Venezuela and will be the
property OF Senior Andrade, brother of
the minister
The treaty provides that the tribunal
shall consist of five jurists, two on the
part of Great Britain, nominated bv the
members of the judicial committee Of
her majesty's privy council, namely,
the Rt Hon. Baron Herschell and the
Hon. Sir Richard Henn Collins. one of
the justices Of her Britannia majesty's
supreme court of INDICATORS; two on the
part OF Venezuela, nominated, one by
the president of the United States, name
ly, the Hon. Melville w. Fuller chief
Justice of the United States of America,
and one nominated by the Justices of the
supreme court of the United States of
America, namely, the Hon. David J
Brewer, justice of the supreme court
of the United States Of America, and a
fifth jurist to be selected by the four, the
the final decision shall be determined by
a majority of all the arbitrators.
Each of the high contracting parties
shall name one person as its agent to
attend the tribunal and to represent it
generally in all matters connected, with
the tribunal.
Provision is made for the presentation
of printed arguments and counter ar
and all documents and reports
shall be available to both sides. The
decision of the tribunal shall, if possible
be made within three months from the
clncn of tho mt e,id
The high contracting parties engaged
to consider the result of the proceedings
of the tribunal of arbitration as full,
perfect and final settlement of all the
questions referred to the arbitrators.
The arbiters chosen on each side are
to be paid by the government they rep
resent.