New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-04
THE VENEZUELAN AWARD.
TRIBUNALS DECISION IN THE DISPUTE
WITH GREAT BRITAIN
ENGLAND SATISFIED WITH JUDGMENT. BU1

AMERICAN COUNSEL CONSIDER IT
A SIGN OF WEAKNESS.
Paris, Oct S-The decision regarding the Ven
szuelan boundary rendered at 200 p. M
to-day. The award Of the tribunal briefly sum
married. means that Of the 100000 square miles
claimed by Venezuela the latter obtains only
100000 formed partly Of the marsh land near
the River Barima and q portion ~ the interior,
while Great Britain retains all the forest couh-
try.
The decision. which was read by NJ. f. De
Martens, the umpire who has presided over the
deliberations Of the tribunal, is as follows:
The undersigned. by these presents give and
publish our decision determining and judging
touching and concerning the questions that nave
been submitted 20 US by said arbtrauon and'
IN conformity with said arbitration. we decide,
declare and pronounce definitely that the line OF
frontier OF the colony Of British Guiana ana the
United States Of Venezuela IS follows.
Starting on the coast ut Point Playa the IRON
tier shall follow a straight lire 10 the confluence
OF The Barma and the Maruima. thence foHoW-
ing the thalves Of the latter 10 the source Oh
the COren,iu otherwise called the Cutari) luVer'
thence il shah proceed 10 the confluence "i the
Haiowa and the Amakuru, thence, l"HoNliS
the thalweg of the Amakuru 10 It's source ID the
plain of Imatako: thence, in southweslerIY
direction along the highest ridge OF the ma
TAXA Mountains 10 the highest point Of the ina
TAXA chain. opposite the source OF thr h@iii,."
and the principal chain of the lmataka noun
tains. thence, IN southeast dltCI'H' To- 'l'
source Of the Acarabisi. following the lhd,"tS
Of the Acarabsi to the Cuyuni the northern
bank of which IL shall follow in westerly a.
rection 70 the confluence OF the Cuyum and the
Vananlu. thence along the thalweg Of the Van
anu to itsAwesternmost source. thence in
straight line to the summit OF Mount hofailha'
thence 90 the source Of the Cotinga.
From this point the frontier shall follow the
thaweg Of the Cotinga To its confluence win
the Takutu. thence along the thalweg or me
Takutu TO its source, thence IN a stralgnt me
10 the most western point Of the Akalai Noun
tains the hghesrridge Of which it shall follow
70 the source II the Corentn. whence II VIII
follow the course Of the river.
40 BEARING on BRAZIL.
1t is stipulated that the frontier hereby de-
Initiated reserves and in no way prejudices ques-
tons actually existing or that may hereafter
arise between Great Britain and tn" R'putlic oi
Brazi. or between the Republic Of BIazn anu
Venezuela. In fixing the above delmitauon
the arbtratOrs consider and decide tfat. IN thc
OF neacc. the rivers AWnkuru and BorIma shaI
, open TO navigation hy the merchant shipping
OF all nations. due reserve being made win re-
gard 10 equitable regulations and the payment OF
light dues and other ike iupostS. on common
that the dues levied 10y Venezuela and BRUSH
Guiana on sriDe traversing the parts of those
rivers Owned hy them respectively snail ne IN
posed in accordance with the same t@'Iu 81
venezuelan and British vessels. These tarins
are not 10 exceed those II all other countries
The award proceeds also upon the CONDITION mat
neither Venezuela nor British Guiana shaI I'M
pose any customs duty on goods carried III YES
sells ships OF boats passing through these rivers,
such customs being levied only on goods landed
upon Venezuelan territory or on the terrl'oI!
Of Great Britain respectively
PROCEEDINGS or TRIBUNAL.
NJ De Martens. on entering the hall was ac-
companied by the four other members Of the
tribunal After they had taken their seats in
the presence - the counsel Of the two parties, Of
Sir Edmund J. Monson. British Ambassador 70
France: the entire staff Of the British Embassy
c,.,.l, ~ Iln ems
rose and in his opening sentences announced
that the Court was going 20 read The award
which had been unanimously arrived at in Eng
lsh and In French D'Oyly Carte, private secre-
tary to Baron Russell Of Kiiowen, one OF the
British members e the tribunal. read the Eng
lish text and VI. De Martens read the French
After this the president Of the tribunal rose
ard. spcakng in English. said he was glad To
announce that. after three months OF hard work
the Court had unanimously decided upon the
award which had just been read. 1t was
pleasant duty nOw to restore the former good
understanding between the contca9ing parties.
He then eloquently thanked his colleagues and
the respective counsel. rendering on behalf of
the tribunal special thanks for the hospitality
extended TO all by France. These sentiments he
repeated in French
BENJAMIN Harrison. the principal counsel for
Venezuela tn.u made few remarks, and was
followed by Sir Richard Webster principal coun-
sci for Great Britain who thanked the French
Government for lis hospitality. and said that
England and Ven4Z1eia would work -iie by
side in harmony Tic sit:-g was then ID
journed.
When asked his opinion regarding the award.
Sir Richard Webster said he was satisfied Mr..
Harrison. replying TO Tn" same inquiry S"'u'
at might be worse"
AMERICAN COUNSEL'S OPINION
subsequently Mr Harrison and Mr.. Mallet-
Provost who gave joint interview, pointed
out that Great Britain up to the time Of the
intervention Of the United States distinctly re-
fused 10 arbitrate any portion Of the territory
east Of the Schombugek line. alleging that It's
title Wa. Understandable. This territory included
the Atacu,i River and Point harma. which is
Of the greatest value strateeicaly ana com
mercially.
The award continued the counsel for Nenez-
uola gives Point Barima. with a strip OF lana
fifty miles long. 10 Venezuela. which thereby
obtains entire control of the river Oiinoco
Three thousand square miles in the Interior are
also awarded to Venezuela Thus, by decision
in which the British arbitrators concurred' the
rosi,ion taken 10y Great Britain in 1890 is
shown to be unfounded.
This however. as the Venezuelan counsel
noipted ont in no wise expresses the full extent
Of Venezuola's victory. Great Britain had
claimed thirty thousand square miles OF terri
tory west of the Schonburgk line. and this she
was disnos.d I'D arhitratc in 1890. Every foot
Of that section IS now awarded To Venezuela.
DECISION CALLED A COMPROMISE.
The president Il the tribunal. IN his closing
address to-day. the Venezuelan counsel re-
marked had commented upon the unanimity OF
nan nrns,T ATI6h