Evening star., 1901-12-25
STOMONROEDOCTRlN
GERMANY HAS CEASED TO QUESTION
ITS POTENCY.
Government Has Not Sent an Ultima
tum to Venezuela France
Also Has Claims.

A dispatch from Berlin yesterday says:
The announcement that Germany had sent
an ultimatum to Venezuela has been con-
spicuously printed in the press here. Those
newspapers maintaining the closest reia-
tions with the government affirm that this
news is premature While an ultimatum
has not yet been delivered to Venezuela,
they say, this step win soon be taken un-
less Venezuela yields to what are deemed
here the reasonable demands Of Germany.
The leading ultra-montane organ, the
Cologne Volks Zeitung, In an extensive ar
ticle on Germanys attitude toward the
Monroe doctrine, asserts that the assur-
ances of DR.. Won Holleben, the German
ambassador to the United States, with re-
gard to the Venezuelan matter indicate
Germany's recognition of the Monroe doc
| trine in a more absolute manner than has
heretofore been done. This paper says
Germany bows to the Monroe doctrine, and
alIudes to the expression of the late Prince
Bismarck that the Monroe doctrine was
"a piece Of impudence." This utterance OF
the German statesman, which is doubtless
authentic, has just been published for the
first time by the Hamburger Nachricht en-,
Bismarck's 8 household organ. Nevertheless
the Cologne VoIks Zeitung admits that
'the impudence of the United States" is
succeeding brilliantly and that Europe is
already accustoming itself to the idea OF
the tutefage of the United States in South
America.
saying: Must Germany really ask Wash
ington'S permission to collect 5000, 600
marks from Venezuela? Must we pocket
all sorts of warnings and concealed
threats?'
A dispatch from Paris last night says:
Venezuela having failed, last year. in her
attempt to renew diplomatic relations with
France. even after the good offices of the
United States had been invoked to assist
in the negotiations, has at last got the
Spanish government to instruct the Spanish
ambassador in Paris to plead her cause
The ambassador. Marquis Leon y Castillo
has laid the proposals Of Venezuela before
the French government, and they will
shortly be taken into consideration. The
bases of the proposals are as follows:
Arrangemsnt Of the French claims aris- s
1899, 1900 and 1901, within a period which
shall not exceed one year.
Venezuela demands that in future
France, like Italy, shall recognize the Ven-
ezuelan courts as having jurisdiction to
decide French claims. and that the duties
imposed on Venezuelan coffee imported into
France shall be removed.
The French government Intends If its
conditions are not accepted soon, to i'm
pose prohibitive import duties on Venezue-
Ian cacao. "a per cent of the crop of which
Is consumed by this country. II this meas
ure Were to be put into effect it would ruin
Venezuela, which would not know where
to place her cacao.
The Caracas chamber of commerce. real
lLilS the uduSeT, mas written TO the cham
bers Of commerce at Hayre, Bordeaux and
Marseilles to the effect that it is endeavor-
ing to induce the government of Vene-
zuela to listen to reason in order that an
understanding may be arrived at.
1t is said that Cecilio Castro, who has
been already charged with diplomatic and
financial mission in France which was far
from successful will leave Caracas Decem-
Der % in order to submit the memorandum
revised by President Castro
The correspondent learns on good au-
thority that the French government Is de-
termined not to be lenient, having five
years ago accepted protocol, signed by
General Pietri, the authorized representa-
tive of Venezuela, which was afterward
1t is considered at the French foreign
Office that Senor Castro's voyage will be
useless unless he takes with him a docu-
ment signed by President Castro, which
would become a protocol and would have
| to be accepted by the Venezuelan congress
before the French government ratified it.