The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-26
Progress of the Venezuela Arbitration.

The tutelary function which President
MONROE asserted for the United States with
regard to all other American common
wealths was discharged when we secured
the reference of the Venezuela boundary
dispute to arbitration. We must follow,
nevertheless with interest, the litigation
OF the case before the Board Of Arbitration
how sitting in Paris, because the principles
laid down may seriously affect Brazil, which
Is exposed to encroachment at the hands Of
Great Britain, France and Holland through
the respective possessions of those pow
ers in South America. We're it conceiv-
able, for instance, that the extreme British
claim could be sustained at Paris, and
Barima Point, involving the control OF the
Orinoco, be adjudRed to Great Britain,
then, by parity of reasoning France
might secure corresponding foothold on
the Amazon, and thus demand that mighty
waterway. From the viewpoint of the
prospective expansion Of our national in
terests in the twentieth century It would
be deplorable result of the pending arb-
tration should European powers acquire
such Incompatible coigns of vantage in
the southern half OF the New World.
Venezuela has Professionally contcndcd,
first, that, when her independence was
acknowledged nv hcr mother country. shc
became invested with all tho territorial
rights which were acknowledged to belong
to Spain by the Treaty of Minister, con-
cluded in l64S between that power and the
Dutch; and, secondly, that, at the date
just named, the Essequbo River consti-
ttlted tho eastern boundary OF the territory
retained by Spain. If we may trust n
telegram, even the first of these asser-
lions is denied by Sir RICHARD WEIR
srER, the Attorney-Cfcneral in the Sails
bury Cabinet. and the leading counsel
for Great Britain before the Board OF Ar
bitration. To make good such denial Sir
RICHARD would have to prove that, bv the
treaty wherein Spain acknowledged Vene-
zuelas Independence. she either reserved to
herself section of the tract gcncrlcallv
known as Guiana, or else deliberately, in the
interest OF Great Britain, dismembered the
territory which, as she had previously in
sisted, formed part Of the Captain-Gen-
eralcy Of Caracas. As neither of these NV
potheses is tenable, We do not believe that
success will attend the attempt to show that
al the territory possessed or claimed by
Spain to the east and south of the OrinOco.
In our opinion the court will signify that
counsel should confine themselves to the
question What We're the limits of the ter
rtory so possessed or claimed mt the time
when the independence OF Venezuela WAS
acknowledged by the mother country ?
This question itself, however, may be sub
divided into two inquiries: First, what
were the limits of that territory at the
date OF the Treaty of Minister and. sec
ondly, to what extent. il any, We're those
limits contracted during the next two CEN
turtles, through the failure Of Spain to con-
vert tito by discovery into IL title by
occupation?
1t will assist US to appreciate tho purport
OF the discussion before the arbitrators, as
references thereto are cabled from day to
day, II we recall the conclusions reached
by the investigators employed by the