The times., 1899-10-04
THE VENEZUELAN AWARD
The Comments of Former President
Harrison on the Decision.
The New boundary Gives Great Brit
ain Territory to which She Is Not
Entitled. But Not What Was Claim
ed-Both Banks of the orinOco and
Barima Point Conceded-The Line.

boundary dispute:
THE tribunals decision falls far short
of giving Venezuela all the territory TO
/ which l think she is entitled, but has
saved much which otherwise Great Britain
would have appropriated, indeed had ap-
propriated forcibly before she was induced
to yield to Yenezuela's request for arbi-
tration, which she had long refused The
decision gives Venezuela both banks of the
Orinoco river to its mouth, including Bar
ina Point and the coast line for fifty OF
sixty miles east of Barima Point.
1t also gives Venezuela consider
able interior territory. which had been
taken possession of by the British. The
mouth of the Amakura river and Barima
Point on the Orinoco had both been occu-
pied as British military stations. Another
station had been established on the Yur-
nan river in the interior, which the de-
cision gives to Venezuela, Great Britain
being forced to retire. In order to sp-
preciate the significance of this it is we'll
to recall the position assumed by the Brit
ish Government in $780, and afterward fire.
quently reaffirmed by Lord Salisbury, who.
in 1890. sent Venezuela the following mem
orandum:
:" Great Britain's claim to the whole ba-
sin of the Cuyuni and Yaruari is shown
to be solidly founded. The greater part
of the district has been for 800 years in
continuous settlement by the Dutch and
the British as the successors of the Dutch.
They cannot admit that there is any foun-
dation for the assertion that any Queens
Government ever recognized Point Barima
as Venezuelan territory. The Queens Gov
ernment constantly maintained that by
strict right they are entitled to the whole
territory within the line described in Lord
Salisbury's note of January 10, 1880, to
Senor Rojas-that is, as far as the high
lands of Upata, if not to the Orinoco it.
self, and all the settlements by Venezuela
east of that line are encroachments ON
Great Britain's rights. The Queens Gov
ernment must repeat that they cannot ad-
NIT any question of their title to the ter
ritory within the line surveyed by Schom-
burgk in 1S41.''' %
| Justices Fuller and Brewer declined to
comment on the decision, merely remark
| ing that they were glad the business was
| finished. They added that they would
i leave Thursday for home. General Harri-
son and some others will go to Berlin to-
morrow.
Great Britain, on several occasions, has
refused TO consider the question of ar
1 bitration regarding territory within the
Schomburgk line, which included the right
bank of the Orinoco River, the command
| of which gave Great Britain command of
/ the mouth of the great river. It was this
claim that especially aroused the interest
of the United States. II it was acknowl-
| edged that Venezuela in a commercial and
military sense would be subjected TO the
control of Great Britain. This was the
crux of the controversy. The retention
and complete control of the Orinoco was
essential to venezuela's independence.
The decision of the tribunal in addition
4 to control of the Orinoco and the coast
line eastward, gives Venezuela all the ter
Titory westward of the Schomburgk line,
which Great Britain claimed, but was will
| ing to submit TO arbitration. In addition
Venezuela gets 1000 or 5000 square miles
/ in the interior eastward of the Shomburgk
line in the territory that Great Britain
would not originally admit to arbitration
1t is not generally understood on what
| principle the line established by the COM
mission is laid down. 1t seems in some
| parts TO have great regard for natural
boundaries. In other parts it appears to
1 disregard that consideration altogether
The boundary line agreed on was proba-
bly, a compromise and not one based on
| strict judicial considerations.
The decision regarding the boundary line
between Venezuela and British Guiana is
as follows:
Starting on the coast from Point Playa,
the line of the boundary shall run in a
straight line to the Barimar River at its
junction with the Mururur River thence
along the midstream thereof to its source;
thence 10 the junction of the rivers Halo
wa and Amakura, thence along midstream
thereof to its source in the Imataka Ridge.
Thence the line shall proceed southwest
erly along the highest ridge of the Spur
of the Imataka Mountains, to the highest
point of the main ridge thereof opposite
the source of the Barima; thence along
the summit of the main ridge southeaster-
ly of the Imataka mountains to the source
OF Acarabisi; thence along midstream of
the Acarabisi; to the Cuyuni; thence along
the northern bank OF the Cuyuni TO the
Wenamu to the western most source of the
latter; thence in a direct line to the sum-
NIT of Mount Roraima and from Roraims
to the source of the Cotinga.
Thence it shall go along the midstream
of the Cotinga TO its junction with the Ia
kutu; thence along the midstream of the
latter in straight line to the westernmost
point of the Akara Mountains: thence
along the ridge of the Akarai to the Coren-
tin River, or as it is sometimes called. the
Cutari River. H5ir
1T is provided that the line of delirnita-
ton fixed by the award shall be ALWAYS
subject without prejudice to any question
now existing or which may arise to be de-
termined between these parties and the
Government of Brazil or between the LAT
ter and Venezuela
In fixing the above delimitation the ar
bitrators consider 1t wise to decide that in
| times of peace the Amahu and the Barima
rivers shall be open TO navigation by mer-
chant ships of all nations, subject TO all
Just regulations and on payment of regular
dues, provided the dues charged by Vene-
zuela and the government of the colony oi
British Guiana in respect 10 the passage oil
vessels along portions of such rivers as
| are respectively owned by them shall bs
| charged at the same rates as upon vessels
owned by citizens of Venezuela and Grea-
! Britain.
..It is also provided that no other custom
duty shall be charged, either by EeneZu-
Ella or British Guiana, irrespective of good.
carried on board ships or vessels passing
along said rivers. But custom duties sha
only be chargeable in respect of goods
landed in the territories of Great Britain
and Venezuela irrespectively.
The Englishmen looked jubilant, where
as gloom sat on the faces of tn,
Venezuelan counsel England gets NOR,
| than she expected TO get few days ago
when gossip spoke of the tribunal fxin,
Mortka or Pomeroon as the western
boundary.
The boundary line between British
Guiana and Venezuela has been the sub,
ject of dispute for upward of half a cen
tury. While the sympathies of the Ameri