The Arbitration Tribunal in the Venezuela case gave its award
on Tuesday. It is substantially in favour of the British contention, the frontier of British Guiana being extended to the Schomburgk line. Venezuela, however, receives a small territory at the actual mouth of the Barima, which she has always regarded as strategically important. The judgment was unanimous, and as the Judges are American as well as English, and a Russian jurist, M. Martens, presided, it is not likely, in spite of the revolution in Venezuela, that it will be impugned. Although the terri- tory awarded is not great, hardly larger than England and Wales, it is believed to be rich, and the award may prove important in the history of arbitration. The English had begun to believe that arbitration meant for them nothing but surrender, the arbitrators always deciding against this country, as the one best able to bear losses, and the decision of Paris may disabuse them in a measure of that belief. It is to be observed that all rights which may belong to Brasil, if affected by the award, are scrupulously left open, but Brazil, with territories as large as a continent which she cannot use, does not fidget about her hinterland. We recall with pleasure our steady opposition to war over this Venezuela dispute, which would have been the blunder of the century.
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