Show ARBITRATION WILL BE HAll Beginning of the End of the Venezuelan Troubles IJ Now In Sight PAUNCEFOTH I AND OLNEY AGREE Exact Terms Are Not Yet Definitely Defin-itely Settled That the Essential Basis of the Treaty Has Been Agreed Upon However Is Made Clear In the Correspondence Which Secretary Olney Has Felt Justified In In tin t-in Pnlille Alter Snlishurjs Significant 1 Sig-nificant Speech SI WASHINGTON Nov 10Every indication in-dication points to the probability that within the next 15 or 20 days Sir Julian Pauncefote and Secretary Olney plenipotentiaries pleni-potentiaries appointed for that purposely purpose-ly their respective governments maybe may-be able TO sijrn here in Washington the proctocol of a proposed treaty to be subsequently submitted to their respective re-spective governments for approval which will include within its provisions a method of arbitrating the boundary line between Venezuela and British Guiana The exact terms of this important convention are not yet definitely settled set-tled far less signed On the contrary verbal conditions are continually being suggested and agreed upon or modified by cable messages between the plenipotentiaries pleni-potentiaries and the British foreign I office But that the essential basis of the I treaty has been agreed upon is made clear in the correspondence which Secretary Sec-retary Olney this afternoon felt justified justi-fied in making public after Lord Salis burys significant speech at the London Mansion House last night The basis agreed on is that in the settled district dis-trict a term of 60 years of undisturbed residence shall be considered as giving the right to possession The acceptance S of this condition by Great Britain is I rprrnrrlpfl us n distinct concession inas I S much as it brings under the award of the arbitration tribunal which is to 4 consist of five distinguished persons not citizens of any American state all the districts which have been settled since the Schumburgk line was drawn in 1840 It may take some days further to ar I raige details as to time and place of meeting ofthe tribunal and as to the selection of the arbitrators but there is every reason to belieyQ that the president pres-ident may be able to announce to congress con-gress when it meets in December next the signing of the preliminary procto col and to submit it to the senate for ratification That this is a strong probability is made clear by the announcement authorized au-thorized by the Venezuelan commission today that it will suspend the preparation prepara-tion of its report for the present but S will proceed with the compilation of the important data it has collected 0 The Correspondence WASHINGTON Nov 10Two letters let-ters which were exchanged between the United States and Great Britain regarding Venezuela since the presentation presen-tation of Mr Olneys counterproposi tion of June 12 were given to the j I i press at the state department this afternoon and help materially to > clear i I un the situation n situator In a dispatch of May 22 1896 Lord Salisbury had proposed an evenly dvided commission to report upon the territory in dispute outside the so called settled districts and Secretary 1 Olney had suggested the provision quoted hertofore in these dispatches for a commission of unequal numbers The next dispatch was from Lord Salisbury to Sir Julian Pauncefote It bears date of July 3 and referring to S Mr Olneys argument that i appears to be a fundamental condition that the boundary line decided to be the true one by the arbitrators shall not operate oper-ate upon territory bona fide occupied by a British subject shall be deflected in every case so as to make such territory terri-tory part of British Guiana Lord Salisbury declares this was not the intention S in-tention of his proposals which were that the tribunal should not have power to include such districts as the territory of Venezuela but he did not propose that they should necessarily be assumed without further proof to be I part of British Guiana I only stipulated I stipu-lated writes Lord Salisbury that the I ownership of them was not to be decided L de-cided by the tribunal which in our judgment a inadequate for this purpose pur-pose though i was adequate for the assignment of the unsettled districts The settled districts shown to be in dispute by the in1uiries of the commission com-mission were to be disposed of by subsequent sub-sequent negotiation The claim of Venezuela is so farreaching that it brings into question interests and queston I I rights which cannot properly be disposed dis-posed of by an unrestricted arbitration I I etends as far a the Essequibo it covers twothirds of the colony of British Brit-ish Guiana i impeaches titles which have been unquestioned for many generations gen-erations Continuing further Lord Salisbury wrote The view of her majestys government is that where the matter in issue is of great importance and involves in-volves right which belong to a considerable con-siderable population and are deeply cherished by them special precautions against any miscarriage of justice are required of which I have indicated the general character in this correspondence correspond-ence but which are not required where a title to unoccupied territory is alone an issue I Is for this reason that her majestys government proposed pro-posed to except these districts from the jurisdiction of arbitral tribunal though it could deal adequately with the disputed claims to territory that is not occupied But they did not intend I in-tend by that stipulation to ask the government of the United States to prejudice any questions which had been raised or might be raised with respect to the ownership of settled districts dis-tricts This part of the subject confessedly con-fessedly the most difficult part would f have been reserved for separate examination ex-amination I f Secretary Olney in reply to this letter k let-ter referring briefly to that part of V Lord Salisburys letter intended to make clear his meaning in the dispatch of May 22 is more pointed concerning I S the references to the farreaching clahn of Venezuela Secretary Olney says saysThat Venezuela claims territory extending ex-tending into the Essequibo or covering cover-ing twothirds of the colony of British Brit-ish Guiana cannot be regarded as being be-ing tof itself an insuperable obstacle to I unrestricted arbitration but the objection objec-tion that the Venezuelan claim impeaches im-peaches titles which have been unquestioned I un-questioned for many generations is undoubtedly of the most weighty character char-acter The inquiry I desire to put therefore is this Can it be assumed that her majestys government would submit to unrestricted arbitration on the whole of the territory in dispute provided I be a rule of the arbitration embodied in the arbitral agreement that terrior which has been in exclusive ex-clusive notorious and actual use and occupation of either party for two generations gen-erations or say for 60 years shall beheld be-held by the arbitrators to be the territory I terri-tory of such party In other words will her majestys government assent to unrestricted arbitration of all the territory in controversy with the period for the acquisition of title by prescription prescrip-tion fixed by agreement of the parties in advance at 6 vears The concluding suggestion of Secretary Secre-tary Olney for 60 years as the period for acquisition of title to property led to a counter proposal from Lord Salisbury Salis-bury to reduce the time to 20 years which was the term common in the United States or to 21 years which was common law In England Venezuela Vene-zuela however would not consent t6 this nor did Secretary Olney entertain enter-tain the suggestion for such a reduction reduc-tion Considerable discussion finally resulted in a virtual agreement on 50 years as the period Fifty years would fully satisfy Venezuela and would practically make the arbitration I arbitra-tion unrestricted as nearly all the I British aggressions have taken place since that time Schomburgks line I periodS having been drawn wholly within that period-S THE ARBITRATORS I The King of Sweden and Norway Oscar I has been chcsen by cre > 3iy i between the United States and Great Britain as the fifth official arbltrator the boundary question The other arbitrators I ar-bitrators four In number are yet ito be desigaetwo by the lord chtef justice i I I jus-tice of England and two by the chief justice of the United States supreme court This is the final and moct important im-portant feature of the treaty for complete com-plete adjustment of the longpending Venezuelan con lHerSy As a king seldom leaves his country except on state visits to other oter sovereigns eigns It is no expected that King Oscar will go outside of Sweden for the meeting of the arWtrators and tine court is likely to sit at Stockholm the capital of Sweden V Misconception BOSTON Nov 10The Washington correspondent of the Globe telegraphs I to this effect regarding the settlement I of the Venezuela question and the probability that a new treaty will soon I be signed I A misconception exists in regard to the scope and character of the treaty I will not be a treaty between the United States and Great Britain but between the latter country and Venezuela Vene-zuela the United States acting as the i friend of Venezuela the phrase used by Lord Salisbury in one of his dispatches j dis-patches to the British ambassador This makes it unnecessary that the 1 treaty should be sent to the senate for i ratification as ould be the case with any other treaty but the convention i will have to be acted npon by the Venezuelan congress before it becomes positive I There is little likelihood that Vene j I zuela will interpose any objections to l the terms of the treaty and if the i Caracas government proves obstinate t the United States will wash their j hands of the whole affair afair and allow the j South American republic to settle her I difficulties in her dIfculies own way j The composition of the court of arbitration I ar-bitration will be somewhat peculiar II The court will consist of five members two of them appointed by the United I States two of them by the British government and the fifth to be selected jointly by the other four In case they cannot agree as to the selection of the i fifth member of the court he will be appointed by a neutral power probably the president of the Swiss republic Venezuela will not be represented in the court I is believed the court will I c + ol T T + a S u vvu v H sLLLL5 LULL i that it will be required to organize I within four weeks after the signing of I the treaty and that its decision will have to be rendered in six months Following the precedents in such cases both Venezuela and Great i Britain will be represented before the i court by counsel and agents for the proper presentation of their respective cases The United States will not be Its interest in the matter ceases with i the signing of the treaty I will have I performed its attic as the friend of I Venezuela and accomplish all which it I hoped to do I I Suits Mr Morley j LONDON Nov 10The Rt Hon I i John Morley formerly chief secretary I i for Ireland spoke tonight at Montrose i Mont-rose Scotland which district he represents j repre-sents in the house of commons In the course of his speech he expressed 1 approval of Lord Salisburys statement I at the Guild hal banquet last night I i regarding the peaceful settlement of I the Venezuelan question He says that j he did not believe there was any international in-ternational discussion of more importance import-ance not even that regarding the eastern east-ern question than the one relative to i permanent arbitration between Great I Britain and the United States This was greeted with cheers by the audience audi-ence I Continuing Mr Morley said he trusted trust-ed that the two nations which were far ahead of the great military monarchies mon-archies in a thousand other respects had set them in this matter a splendid I and beneficent example |