316 VENEZUELA AND AFTER 



less intolerant attitude than before as to the 

 efficacy of arbitration in international differ 

 ences. In accordance with the disposition thus 

 manifested, a suggestion from Mr. Olney that 

 negotiations be undertaken at Washington for 

 the settlement of the difficulty with Venezuela 

 was agreed to by the British Government, with 

 a voluntary expression of willingness to take up 

 the matter either with Venezuela or with the 

 United States acting as her friend. So full a 

 concession to the American view could not fail 

 to insure a pacific agreement. The negotia 

 tions were begun forthwith between Great Brit 

 ain and America. The British abandoned their 

 insistence on a fixed line as the irreducible min 

 imum of their territory, and accepted the sub 

 mission of the whole claim of each power to 

 arbitration, with the proviso that actual occu 

 pation or control of any region for fifty years 

 should give title to either party. On this basis 

 a treaty of arbitration between Great Britain 

 and Venezuela was readily agreed to and duly 

 carried out. With this the matter of the 

 boundary passed out of concern in the rela 

 tions of the English-speaking peoples. 



In its broad character as a diplomatic episode 

 this whole affair stands as an assertion by the 



