The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-22
JOHN BULL MAKING A BLUFF.
THE OLD BOY CUNNING FOR THE
MONROE DOCTRINE.


salisbury-venezueIa in such "A Po-
sition That She Can Neither Apollo
gize NOT Pay an Indemnity.
Washington, Oct. Alt is doubted If
Great Britain's ultimatum to Venezuela
has yet reached Caracas. The state de-
partment. it is believed, will be informed
of its contents as soon as it shall be
placed in President Crespo's hands. To-
day the department had had heard nothing
in regard to the matter either through
the American charge d affaires at Caru-
cas- or Mr.. Andrade. the Venezuelan rep
resentative here. If Venezuela does not
at once acquaint the United States with
the fun text of the ultimatum it win be
the first exception. she has made since her
long-standing trouble with Great Britain
began. The Importance of the present
affair so much exceeds in gravity any or
the previous contentious between the two
countries that it is not doubted that Vene-
zuela, following her usual custom, will at
once place copies of all communications
relating TO the Uruana incident before
| Secretary Olney.
The probability that Great Britain will
take drastic measures to enforce her de-
| mands makes the affair one of absorbing
interest to diplomats and public officials
| as wei. The ultimatum has been the sub
Jeet of extended discussion since Satur-
day last, and speculation increases rather
than diminishes in the absence of any
definite knowledge as to its character.
1t is contended that Venezuela can nei-
ther apologize nor pay an indemnity for
the arrest Of Sergt. Behrens To do this
would be, it is claimed, tacit admission
that the British functionary and his as
sociates were seized on English soil. That
they were not on English soil is evidenced
by the fact that the place of their ar
rest was fully fifty miles west of the
Schomburgk line. which marks the boun-
dary of Great Brtains western preten-
| sons.
The Venezuelan government feels that
| II mas already made every reparaton
| which international law demands Ser
| seant Behrens was reimbursed for the
| property alleged to have been lost by him.
| MHle zen Sltontes, who commanded the
| military district in which the arrest oc-
Cured, was promptly relieved and sent
| 10 another state as a rebuke for his un-
| necessary zeal in PRINTING the arrest to
| De made. The Crespo government feel
| that any further acknowledgment of the
error would be superhuous and degrade
| them in the eyes of the civilized world
no matter what Great Britain's attitude
| may be.
1t is also regarded as significant that
| her majesty's government should not
| have acted with reference to the Uruana
memorandum to Lord Salisbury, in which
| he elaborated the Interpretation put by
| this country upon the Monroe doctrine,
had been received at the British foreign
| office. So far as Venezuela is concerned
| the incident was supposed to have been
| settled by the release of the British Of
| ncer and the prominence given to the af-
| fair at this late day, Is Tor that reason,
not clearly understood, although its mo-
| tive is shrewdly suspected.
| ninlnD1afip N a of
| tral and South America are following this
| affair with degree of interest second only
/ to that which would attach to a similar
| complication between their own countries
| and a great European power.
| However much the Latin-American re-
| publics may wrangle among themselves
| however numerous and deep-seated the
| commercial and political rivalries that ex-
| ist between them, ii is obvious that so far
| as the outside world is concerned. they
| are unit whenever the interests of one
| of their number are jeopardized. In the
| present case Venezuela's quarrel with
| Great Britain partakes of a personal char
/ acter so far as the dozen Spanish-Ameri-
| can republics are concerned. They contend
| that the Uruana affair is mere incident
| connected with the repeated violations of
| the Monroe doctrine of which Great Brit
| ain has been guilty in Venezuela for half
| century, and conspicuously during the
| last decade or more. Great Britain, 1t is
| asserted, is in the present instance, test
! ing the sincerity of the United States with
| reference to the Monroe doctrine, and in
| force the hand of the United States. No
| hint is given by Secretary Olney or any
| state department official as to the course
which this country viii pursue with refer
| ence to Great Britain's ultimatum, nor
from present indications is any likely to
| be given.
Ii is not believed that a blockade by
| Great Britain of Venezuela's ports would
/ enable the former country to collect an
| indemnity, however small. During the oc-
| cupation of Corinto by the British last
! spring, foreign vessels were warned from
| entering the port and none appeared there
/ not even the steamers of the Pacific Mail
/ line, which regularly touch at Corinto on
| their periodical trips between Panama
| and San Francisco. If Venezuela should
! prove stubborn and decline to pssy an in
| demnity, whatever revenues II needed
might be raised by the imposition of in
| ternal taxes in lieu Of customs duties
| 1t is stated that the Venezuelan people
/ would willingly bear these new burdens
| in order to maintain their national dig
| nifty and self respect.
| London. Oct 21-The st. James Gazette
in an article on the situation of the dis
| putes between Breat Britain and Vene-
zuela, says: THE United States govern
/ ment has serious grievances of it's own
| against Venezuela and it would best be-
! come its position as a great civilized power
/ to join in bringing these Spanish-Indian
| to Venezuela would be equally profitable
/ to both the United States and England
! The cooperation of the United States
would also be humane, since ii would have
/ a tendency to make the lesson bloodless,
convincing Venezuelans of the folly OF
| resistance"
The Globe publishes a note saying that
/ as the British ultimatum to Venezuela
/ has not yet reached its destination 1t is
not considered desirable to publish any of
! its details. 1t is proper to state, how
| ever, that the document is worded in
/ terms of firmness and force. The COM
munication, the Globe also says, was not
| transmitted through any representative
/ of Venezuela in England, diplomatic rela-
| tions between the two countries having
| been broken off some years ago and no
| longer exist The note further says that
! the ultimatum informs the government of
| Venezuela that the government of Great
! Britain will not permit any overstepping
/ by Venezuela of the boundaries marked
/ by the courses of the Cuyuni and Aura
\ cura rivers. Great Britain, however ex-
! presses willingness to submit to arbitra-
/ ton the question of other territories in
dispute beyond that limit.
The Pail Mall Gazette asserts that the
ultimatum will be presented through Sc
nor Rodriguez, the Venezuelan consul in
/ London.
The. announcement of the ultimatum
/ contained in the note published in the
Globe is officially authorized.
/ The Pail Mall Gazette says that should
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