Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/324

 272 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS standing boundary dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela, and to the efforts of the U. S. government to induce the disputants to settle it by arbitration. Previously, in July, Secretary Olney, in a despatch to the American ambassador in Lon don, had called attention to the peculiar interest of the United States in the dispute, owing to the re lation of that dispute to the Monroe doctrine, and again urging arbitration. On November 26, Lord Salisbury returned an answer in which he denied that the interests of the United States were neces sarily concerned in such disputes, and refused to arbitrate except in regard to territory west of the Schomburgk line a line surveyed by Great Brit ain in 1841- 4. These despatches were sent to congress on De cember 17, together with a special message in which Mr. Cleveland stated that, as Great Britain had refused to arbitrate the dispute, it now became the duty of the United States to determine the boun dary line by diligent inquiry, and asked for a spe cial appropriation to defray the expenses of a com mission to be appointed by the executive for that purpose. This commission was to report without delay. &quot;When such report is made and accepted,&quot; the message went on, &quot;it will, in my opinion, be the duty of the United States to resist by every means in its power, as a wilful aggression upon its rights and interests, the appropriation by Great