NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE best news we have about the Venezuela dispute is the incident which occurred in Parliament on Monday. As we have stated elsewhere, the British and American Govern- ments are ready to approach each other upon the basis of an inquiry into the facts by a Joint Commission, to be followed by negotiations founded upon the Commission's Report ; and then, if the negotiations do not succeed, by an arbitration before two Judges, the reference being limited to the few questions left undecided. That is practicable and sensible, but the details as to the definition of "settled" districts and of settlers' rights have been giving trouble. On Monday, however, when Mr. Atherley-Jones rose to move that the Government should go to arbitration, Mr. Balfour rose, and on his responsibility as a Minister of the Crown, assured the House that the discussion would render the settlement of the dispute less easy, would indeed make it appear to Americans that her Majesty's Government objected to arbitration, which was not the case. Mr.Labouchere, upon this assurance, advised that the discussion should not con- tinue; and Mr. Atherley-Jones, who, though ultra-Radical in his opinions, is not one of the impracticables, withdrew his amendment. The deduction is that negotiations are pro- gressing favourably, but there is rather more delay than is beneficial to either nation. Both want to be free of an Incubus.
