The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-07

well-connected, from The Hague
Spanish documents, incomplete, scat
tered, gathered with great labor from
archives without index, at Seville
There was a search also in the vatican
/ at Rome among reports of the Spanish
mission settlements in the disputed
territory. Material also, had naturally
been gathered in the Venezuelan arch
ives at Caracas. Then there We're the
/ English blue books, supplemented in
/ the research on Venezuela'S behalf, by
unofficial publications about geograph-
zeal subjects and travel not always in
harmony with the official documents.
All the documents in foreign Ian
guages have been translated, and the
whole proceedings are in English. All
the evidence is in. Everything sub
mitted has been printed, and copies of
the many volumes have been furnished
TO the five arbitrator and the respect
i've counsel. What is called the case, .
or the opening statement of facts, for
| Great Britain, takes up one volume,
with seven volumes lf appendices or
exhibits. The case for Venezuela takes
up one volume, with two volumes OF
appendices. Each side also submitted
wits its case" an atlas of maps bear
ing on the controversy. The counter
case" of Great Britain takes UP one
volume and a volume of appendices,
and the 'counter-caSe" of Venezuela
one volume, with two volumes of aD-
pendices. Each side, with its counter
case, submitted another atlas. Then
came the printed argument, filling two
volumes, or about 500 pages. for Vene-
Zuela, and only one volume of about
sixty-five pages fer Great Britain. Thus
far, therefore. twenty-three printed
volumes have been submitted. Further
proceedings are to be by oral argu-
ment, though such things as the arbl-
traitors may call for will be submitted
in printing, and the other side will have
leave to print replies.
Assisting General Harrison as counsel
for Venezuela are Benjamin f.. Tracy,
who was secretary of the navy in his cab
met; ). Malet-PrevoSt and James Russell
Solely. all of New York. 5. Mallet-Prevost
was secretary of the United States COM
mission on this boundary dispute, and had
done much work for the commission in
placing evidence in shape. He was, there
fore, familiar with the details of the dis
pute. and was especially valuable in max
ing UP the Venezuelan case in the short
time between January. 1898, and March 10
of the same year. when the case was sub
mitted. There is no citizen of Venezuela
among the counsel for that country. but
j. NJ. de RojaS of Venezuela is agent for
his country in the litigation. General
Harrison, engaged in a case for a Span
lsh-speaking country and one in which
documents translated from foreign Ian
guages are numerous, is familiar only
with the English language. tie is furth-
er, ma king his first trip to Europe in
going 10 Paris 20 plead for Venezuela in
this case.
Immense Territory In Dispute.
The territory in dispute between Vene-
zuela and British Guiana covers over Co.
Vov square miles. and IS greater than the
combined areas of the states OF New York,
[ la
Zuela contends that all the territory west
OF the EsSequibo river belongs to the re-
public: Loru Salisbury in correspondence
with MIR. Olney, opposing the submission
of the dispute about certain parts OF this
territory 10 arbitration, spoke impressive
~ OF titles that mad been unquesuoned
for generations In the mastery printed
argument of General Harrison and his
associates. these pretensiOnS are submit
tea 10 a rlSlu analysis. Mich makes il ap-
pear that an undisputed utle could not
be shown for even one generation. Before
the discoveries of gOid. beginning less
tnan twenty years ago, the territory west
OF the Essecuibo river was practically
except for Venezuelan settle [
ments near the OrinOcO. When the gold [
began the British simply went
in and took charge OF things. setting up
tnelr own government ana now, after
heavy mining investments, they are re- !
luctant 10 give up control
NeneZueld's claims a-e based on the I
rights acquired by Spain. of which coun-
Try the present republic was. up to 1910, I
a dependency. Spain, II is cOntended. by /
discovery and settlement in the sixteenth /
century, gained title TO the whole of the I
country from the OrinOco TO the Amazon 4
rivers. For the Spanish title is claimed 1
the broad rights and liberal construction
accorded by international law to the dis /
covering nation. The Dutch as second +
corners or intrudeTs within this territory,
are held by Venezuelan counsel to be /
bound by narrower rules and TO have pre-
scripttve title to such territory only as /
S settled by them, or can clearly be
shown to have been under their control /
The treaty of arbitration between Great /
Britain and Venezuela provides as a spe-
,ial rule that adverse holding during a
period of fifty years shall make a good |
itle- The arbitrators may deem exclusive |
political control of Il district as well as
actual settlement thereof. sufficient TO
constitute adverse holding. or to make
title by prescription"
BY the treaty of 164s, Spain granted to
he Netherlands the territory then
leld by the Dutch in Guiana without
lefining what this territory was, and
his started all the trouble 1t is con-
ended that the Dutch then held no
erritory whatever west of the Esse-
Iuibo except a narrow strip along
he coast TO the Pomeroon, a river