Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-04-26
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AWARD.
After All Is Adjusted Portugal Can
Sell Delagoa Bay.

1t has been expected that the Della
goa bay award would be from $1,000
600 to $15,O00,00O The low figure,
100000, announced is therefore a de-
cided surprise.
The Importance of the award at the
present time lies chiefly in the fact
that the arbitration involves property
rights at Delagoa bay, Portuguese east
Africa, and thus has prevented Portu-
gal from selling to England the
IransVaals only sea outlet. Under
the award just announced additional
time will be required to decide the
amounts due to individual claimants,
and this tends to cause further delay
in a possible sale of Delagoa bay.
Count Santo-Thyrso, Portuguese
minister at Washington, recently an
nounced that his government has the
money to pay the award. 1t is also
said that the money was not borrowed
from England. In order to head off
English designs a boer agent recently
offered Portugal the sum required,
Portugal, it is believed, is willing to
sell Delagoa bay, but is restrained by
opposition at home, which threatens
to overthrow the -shaky monarchy. She
has treaty binding her to give Eng
land the preference in a possible sale
The events which led up to the ar
bitration date from December, 1883,
when Col. Edward McMurdo, a Ken
tuckian, received from the king of
Portugal an unconditional exclusive
concession for a railroad from Lo-
renzo Marquee to the Transvaal
frontier. This concession granted to
Colonel McMuruo large tracts Of land
along the proposed route, another large
tract upon much of which the town of
Lorenzo Marquee now stands, an ISL
and in Delagoa bay and certain privi-
leges along the waterfront.
Colonel McMurdo enlisted the aid Of
British capital in the construction of
the road. 1t was completed in Novem-
Der, 1887 to what the Portuguese en-
gineers at that time certified was the
Transvaal frontier. They certified that
1t was the point to which the road
was to be constructed.
In 1889 the Portuguese government
served notice on Colonel McMurdo
that the true frontier was six miles
farther inland; that if the road was
not constructed to the new frontier
within four months the concession
would be Cancelled and the road would
be seized by the Portuguese govern
ent. Colonel McMurdo replied that all
though it would be practically impos-
sible to complete the extension with
in the time specified he was willing to
extend it if sufficient time were al
lowed The time was not given and
the road was seized by Portuga! in
June, 1889
Secretary Blaine in behalf of the
McMurdo interests, co-operated with
Lord Salisbury, representing the Brit
ish investors, to compel Portugal to
make proper reparation. Portugal
pleaded that because of her weakness
she should not be forced She admit
ted that the act of seizure was unwar-
ranted. Portugal also admitted her re-
sponsibility in the case and paid
$4,000 on account.
An arbitration tribunal to adjudf-
cate the claim against Portugal and
fix the indemnity was decided upon.
1t was organized at Berne in 1890
Colonel McMurdo died in 1882. His
estate is represented by his widow,
now the wife of Frederick c. PenfeId,
former United States consul-general
and diplomatic agent at Cairo, Egypt.
Before the case was presented con-
vention was entered into by Portugal,
England and the United States. in
which Portugal agreed that she would
not dispose of the Delagoa railroad,
| its rolling stock its permanent way
| or any of the lands granted to Colonel
McMurdo until final judgment in the
! case had been rendered and indemnity
paid.
/
opened Portugal contendel that she
ought to pay an indemnity not greater
than the amount expended in building
the road, about 100000 The Eng.
lish and American claimants contend.
ed that as they built for the future
they should be recompensed accord.
ingly. The arbitration tribunal sent a
board of engineers to Lorenzo Mar.
quez to report upon the value OF tbs
concession. The board reported that
on December 81. 1896, the concession
was worth s9,00O,000 Unofficial ex
perts have estimated its value at from
100000 to s90,00OO,OO0. The fina
award, it will be seen, is much les
than this.
Z r.-1n