Legation of
the United States,
London, May 28, 1890.
(Received June 5.)
No. 249.]
[Inclosure in No. 249.]
The Marquis of Salisbury
to Mr. Lincoln.
Foreign
Office, May 26,
1890.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your note of the 5th instant, stating that you had been
instructed by your Government to tender to Her Majesty’s Government the
earnest good offices of the United States, with a view of bringing
[Page 341]
about a resumption of the
interrupted diplomatic relations between Her Majesty’s Government and
that of Venezuela as a preliminary step towards negotiations for the
amicable settlement by arbitration of the long-standing questions
respecting the boundary line between Venezuela and British Guiana.
Her Majesty’s Government are very sensible of the friendly feelings which
have prompted this offer on the part of the United States Government,
They are, however, at the present moment in communication with the
Venezuelan minister in Paris, who has been authorized to express the
desire of his Government for the renewal of diplomatic relations and to
discuss the conditions on which it may be effected.
The rupture of relations was, as your Government is aware, the act of
Venezuela, and Her Majesty’s Government had undoubtedly reason to
complain of the manner in which it was effected. But they are quite
willing to put this part of the question aside, and their only desire is
that the renewal of friendly intercourse should be accompanied by
arrangements for the settlement of the several questions at issue.
I have stated to Señor Urbaneja the terms on which Her Majesty’s
Government consider that such a settlement might be made, and am now
awaiting the reply of the Venezuelan Government, to whom he has
doubtless communicated my proposals.
Her Majesty’s Government would wish to have the opportunity of examining
that reply, and ascertaining what prospect it would afford of an
adjustment of existing differences, before considering the expediency of
having recourse to the good offices of a third party.
I may mention that, in so far as regards the frontier between British
Guiana and Venezuela, I have informed Señor Urbaneja of the willingness
of Her Majesty’s Government to abandon certain portions of the claim
which they believe themselves entitled in strict right to make and to
submit other portions to arbitration, reserving only that territory as
to which they believe their rights admit of no reasonable doubt. If this
offer is met by the Venezuelan Government in a corresponding spirit,
there should be no insuperable difficulty in arriving at a solution. But
public opinion is, unfortunately, much excited on the subject in
Venezuela, and the facts of the case are strangely misunderstood.
I have, etc.,
