The age-herald., 1901-03-28
MIR, CLEVELAND ON BOUNDARY DISPUTE Delivers First Lecture on Vene-
 zuelan Controversy ENGLAND'S POSITION CLEAR The Address Told of the Trouble In Detail, Beginning In 1s41 and
 Ending In t8e3-He Will
 Continue Tonight.
VGLAND'S POSITION CLEAR

Princeton, N J.. March 27-Ex-Presi dent Cleveland delivered the first of his two lectures on the Venezuelan Boun- dary Dispute" before the students and friends of Princeton University tonight In Alexander Hall
 Mir. Cleveland, at the outset, spoke of the vagueness on the subject of boundary lines in the establishment both of the Nenezulean Republic and of British Guiana. He said that from the first there was evident need of "extraneous assls- tance" before bounds so loosely named could be exactly ixed.''
 He then referred to the initiation of the dispute in lS41 between the Venezuelan minister to Great Britain and Lord Aber deen, Chief Secretary of State for For eign Affairs.
 The making of the Schomburgk survey and It's bearing upon the dispute were bully explained. The lecturer said:
 "In 1876, thirty-two years after the dis continuance of efforts on the part of Great Britain and Venezuela to fix by agreement line which should divide their possessions. Venezuela was confronted.
  purpose, by the following conditions:
 "A line proposed by her, founded upon her conception of strict right. which her powerful opponent had insisted could not In any way be plausibly supported, and which therefore she would in no event accept.
 Indefinite Line.
 "An indefiniteness in the limits claimed by Great Britain, so great that of two boundary lines indicated or suggested by her, one had been plainly declared to De merely a preliminary measure open to future discussion between the govern ments of Great Britain and Venezuela, and the other was distinctly claimed to be based upon generous concessions and desire to avoid all cause of serious controversies between the two countries.
 "A controversy growing out of this situation impossible of friendly settle ment except by such arrangement and accommodation as would be satisfactory to Great Britain. or by a submission of the dispute to arbitration.
 "A constant danger of such an exten- sion of settlements In the disputed ter rtory as would necessarily complicate | the situation, and furnish a convenient | pretext for the refusal of any concession | respecting the lands containing such set | dement's.
 "A continual profession on the part of | Great Britain of her present readiness to | make benevolent concessions, and of her | willingness to cooperate in a speedy ad- justment while not substantially reduc- ing her pretensions, and certainly not at 1 tempting In a conspicuous manner to has l ten negotiations to conclusion.
 Tremendous Disparity. "A tremendous disparity of power and strength between Venezuela and her ad- versary, which gave her no hope, In case the extremity of force or war was reached, of defending her territory or preventing its annexation to the posses sions of Great Britain"
 It was in 1876 that Venezuela appealed to the United States, begging our gov ernment ito give the subject its kind consideration, and take an interest in having due justice done to Venezuela. " "This," said the lecturer, appears to be the first communication addressed to our government on the subject of contro- yersy in which we afterward became very seriously concerned.'
 The lecturer, quoting constantly from | documents. showed the repeated appeals | of Venezuela to Great Britain In faNor of settling the question by arbitration on | the whole subject, declaring that theil 1 constitution prevented them from making l grants of territories except by process l the result of arbitration. Meantime Eng | land constantly refused arbitration on the | general subject declaring that 1t feared | the Venezuelan constitution would stil | be used as a uretext for disobedience t6 an award. Great Britain also objected tt | the arbitration requested by Venezuela | fearing that an award might be made | in favor of the Venezuelan claim. In whicf | case "an important territory WrJch has for a long period been inhabited and oc cupied by Her Majestys subjects anC | treated as part of the colony of British | Guiana. would be severed from thu | Queens dominions"
 England Alone.
 On this Mir Cleveland said: "Englant alone had treated 1t as part or brltlsi | Guiana: her immense power had enabled her to do this, and her own decrees seem ed 10 promise greater advantages a against her weak adversary than arbi tration could possibly assure.
 The British government at one time Of fered plan of arbitration which did moi cover the entire disputed territory, but never consented to arbitration such as proposed by Venezuela and which would include the entire territory in dispute.
 The lecture last night brought dowr with much detail the narrative to Sep. tember 1893 At the end of the lecture Mir. Cleveland said:
 Here closed a period in this dispute ffty-two years in duration. vexed witf agitation, and perturbed by Irritating anc repeated failures to reach a peaceful ad justment Instead of progress in the di rection of a settlement of their bound aries, the contestants could only contem plate, as results of their action. increased | oDe to al Q Q feelings of injury, extended assertion oi title ruthless appropriation of the terri tory in controversy and an unhealet breach in diplomatic relations
 | MT. Clevelands second and concluding lecture on this subject, to be given to night, will deal principally with the par taken by the United States in the settle