The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-08-11


Great Britain returned an impertinent
reply, stating that all territory within
the so-called Schomburg line was abso-
lutely hers and that she had nothing
to arbitrate'' there. Claims west of that
line she was willing to submit to an in
ternational tribunal for adjudication.
Venezuela, on the other hand. insisted
that the Esequibo river was the recog-
nized boundary and that the Pumeron
river was, at all events, the extreme
limit of disputed territory. Secretary
Gresham's sudden death delayed the
American answer to the British note
declining arbitration, but when Secre-
tary Olney assumed the state portfolio
one of his first acts was the transmits
sion of this now historic document
which, together with Lord Salisbury's
answer, constituted the basis of Presi-
dent Cleveland's message of December
~, 1895.
In it the president declared the
claims urged by Great Britain to be
direct violation of the Monroe doctrine,
which he designated as an unwritten
page of the American constitution. He
disavowed all intention of wishing to
interfere with British rights in her
South American colonies, but at the
same time protested against the extern
sion of England's political system. In
order to avoid clash he asked congress
to appoint a commission to investigate
and determine the true boundary line
between British Guiana and Venezuela,
and then went on to say that when that
commission had made it's report the
United States should resist by every
means in it's power, as willful aggres-
sion upon its rights and interests, the
appropriation of any lands or The exer-
else of governmental jurisdiction over
any territory which, after investiga-
ton, we have determined of right be
long to Venezuela" Continuing, he
said: "In making these recommends
tons I am fully alive to the response
bilities incurred and keenly realize all
the consequences that may follow"
The congress responded periodically
to the presidents message, and COM
mission to determine the boundary in
dispute was appointed, consisting of
Justice Brewer, Andrew d. White,
Frederic r. Coudert, d. C. Gilman and
r. H. Alvey. For a short time war be-
tween the United States and Great Brit
ain seemed inevitable, but eventually
the London jingo element subsidized,
and the American commission con-
tinued its labors until February %,
1897, when, through the INSTRUMENTAL
ity of the United States, treaty was
concluded between Great Britain and
Venezuela for arbitrating the subject
in dispute. This treaty stipulated that
the arbitration tribunal should consist
of five members-two to be selected by
Great Britain; one by the president of
the United States of Venezuela and one
by the justices of the supreme court of
the United States, the four to select a
fifth member who should be the presi-
dent of the tribunal. The British rep
resentatives are Chief Justice Russell
and Sir Richard Hem Collins; the pres
ident of Venezuela chose Chief Justice
Melville w. Fuller. and the justices of
the supreme court appointed Justice
David Josiah Brewer. The fifth jurist,
selected by the four already mentioned,
is Prof. Maertens, a Russian scholar
whose reputation as an authority on
international law is worldwide He is
an official of the Russian foreign office,
professor Of international law at the