Department of State,
Washington
,
February 14,
1901.
No. 394.]
I inclose for your information copy of the Navy Department’s memorandum
of the 13th instant relative to the precedents for the visits of United
States war vessels to the Orinoco River.
[Inclosure.]
Navy Department,
Washington
,
February 13,
1901.
Memorandum.
The records of the Department show that naval vessels have visited
the Orinoco River on a number of occasions. When no survey has been
undertaken these visits have been without previous notice, so far as
the Department’s records show. Two recent cases of visits to the
Orinoco are the visit of the Kearsarge,
November 7, 1892, and the visit of the Wilmington, January 23, 1899. The Kearsarge carried on a running survey, without, however,
erecting shore stations. There is no record of any protest or
objection from the Venezuelan Government on the occasion of either
of these visits.
The Navy Department understands the status of the Orinoco River, in
regard to navigation, to be in all respects similar to that of the
Mississippi River. Foreign war vessels pass freely up the
Mississippi River without previous notice to this Government. Our
war vessels have done the same in the Orinoco River. In the Amazon,
for instance, the case is understood to be different. This river,
though open to commercial navigation, is not open to war vessels
except on special notice and permission.
It may be that the minister to Venezuela on his own account, in the
case of the visit of the Wilmington, asked
permission or notified the Government of what was contemplated. If
so, this is unknown to the Navy Department.
On the occasion of the visit of the Wilmington
the Venezuelan Government marked its acquiescence and gratification
in that visit by desiring to decorate the commanding officer of the
vessel with the order of Bolivar.
