Our Boundary War-Scare. 245 
** Guiana is as much a State of our Union as Montana is a State of the Ameri- 
can Union. Guiana, too, is for all practical purposes as near to Westminster as 
Montana is to Washington ; suppose that for one moment that across the fron- 
tier from Montana to British Columbia, Canada kept open sanctuary for the 
criminal classes—the horse thieves and road agents who are ‘wanted’ from 
time to time in the United States ; how long would it be before such a robber’s 
nest was invaded from south the line by‘ the boys in blue.’ ” 
Mr. Carnegie wrote in the North American Review in favour of arbitration— 
he would even go so far as to enforce compliance by going to war. A striking 
remark in the paper is :—“‘ To ‘die for one’s Country ’ sounds well; ‘to die 
for one’s Colony ’ does not ring.” 
His final summing up is applicable to other disputes as well as this :— 
“No Government can live in Britain which dares squarely to persist in reject- 
ing arbitration in a boundary dispute upon the American Continent. There is 
too much religion, too much conscience, too much sincere desire for peace and 
good will among men, and far too much genuine kindly feeling among the 
people from Queen to Peasant for their ‘kin beyond sea,’ to permit any 
Government to commit so great a crime.” 
The Arbitration Commission commenced its sittings on the 21st of June, 1899, 
and gave its decision on the 3rd of October following. The award was prac- 
tically a vindication of our claims for though it gave two small pieces within the 
Schomburgk line to Venezuela these bits were of little importance. Previous 
to the difficulty offers had been made by Great Britain to compromise the dis- 
pute by withdrawing her claims to Amacura and Barima, the latest, Lord Rose- 
berry’s proposal being well within the line awarded. Mr. Reddan, of the Foreign 
Office, who collected evidence in Spain told me that the British side did not 
insist upon our full rights. In fact it was a compromise—the Venezuelans were 
conciliated with a piece of land at the mouth of the Barima, and a slice up the 
Cuyuni including the site of the Uruan station. No actual settlements or gold 
workings on our side were given up. The Review of Reviews said : “‘ We have 
lost nothing that would not have been dear at a five-pound note, and we have 
gained substantially everything that we ever contended was our right.’’ Gold 
findings at Wenamu go to prove, however, that even theslice up the Cuyuni 
was worth something. 
Mr. Harry Whates, once editor of our Royal Gazette, wrote an article for the 
Fortnightly Review in which he laid stress upon the fact that there was no longer 
any risk to capital, for the Award laid the ghost of possible invalidity in our 
title. The development of the territory could therefore go forward without 
hindrance. Although no real boom has yet arrived there is no doubt that the 
colony has slowly progressed within the once disputed territory. 
The work of the American Commission and the British and Venezuelan 
experts necessarily contributed a great deal towards the elucidation of historical 
questions. Nevertheless there was little to invalidate the statements made in 
my “ History” and “ Annals.” Doubtful matters remained doubtful. Among 
