Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-11

sistent refusal to submit to arbitration the
boundary line dispute between British
Guiana and Venezuela. The United States
took no stand to what was the true
boundary line between the countries, but
only insisted that Great Britain should
submit TO the arbitration so frequently
urged by Venezuela. in order that the true
line might be determined. ON Great Brit
aims refusal the memorable message of
President Cleveland was issued and this
country determined to find out for itself
by thorough investigation the true line.
a commission, consisting of David J.
Brewer of the Supreme Court of the United
States. R. H. Alvey. F. K. Coudert Daniel
c. Gilman and Andrew d. White was APP
pointed by the United States to deter
mine the boundary. The commission col
lected great mass of information but 1t
was not necessary for it to complete its
work. Great Britain finally consented to
arbitration and agreed to a plan after a
long correspondence between Lord Sails
bury and Richard Olney Secretary of
State of the United States After that the
United States had no further official in
terest in the question. a treaty was ar
ranged between Venezuela and Great Brit
ain agreeing to take final the decision
of a tribunal of arbitration as to the dis
puted boundary.
First Case of It's Kind.
1t is pointed out by Gen. Harrison and his
associate counsel that this tribunal is more
IKE iNt great courts OF justice imam any
other that has sat in an international dis
pute. Tribunals in such cases, they say
have been too much the conferences of the
representatives of the dIsputing nations
rather than the consultations of judges to
whom the parties quite Indifferent.
Venezuela has no direct representative upon
this tribunal. 1t is made up OF Sir Charles
Russell, lord chief justice of England (Suc-
Ceeding Lord Herschel recently deceased ,
and Justice Richard Hem Collins on the
part of Great Britain, Chief Justice Fuller
and Justice Brewer Of the United States Su-
preme Court. on the part of Venezuela and
Prof. Martens of the University of St. Pc
tersDurg. selected by these four. 1t had
been provided that should the four first
named members be unable to choose a fifth
within four months King Oscar of Norway
and Sweden was 10 select the fifth, but the
use Of this provision did not become neces-
sary.
Though the treaty of arbitration had been
finally ratified in June. 1897. it was not
til January, 1898, that definite measures
were taken toward having the case of Ven
czuela properly presented before the tri-
bunaL Then Gen. Harrison, a man of pres
tige by reason of his having been President
of the United States and man of thorough
legal ability, was called to New York and
engaged as chief counsel for Venezuela.
There was an immense task before him.
The documentary evidence extends over
four centuries. Gen. Harrison at the time
knew little more Of the case than many
other readers Of newspapers and periodi-
| Gals. Though Venezuela had for number
| of years appealed to the United States for
| assistance in her dispute with Great Brit
| ain, and though Secretary Blaine. like other
| Secretaries of State. had had some CORE
| SponGence with Great Britain on the sub
| ject yec the case was only a minor incident
| in HarriSOn's administration and did not
take on anything like that acute form
which it began to assume early in the ad-
| ministra;ton of his successor, President
Cleveland.
Work on the Case
| From the date of his employment as
| counsel for Venezuela, something over fif
| teen months ago, until the present, Gen.
Harrison has given his entire time to this
| great case. His law office in Indianapolis
| has not been used by him, and he has