Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-08
ASPHALT cos. CLAIMS
Presented 10 the State Department Which
Awaits Developments.

Washington, Jan. THE government
is anXiously awaiting news from Ven
eZuela in regard to the serious situa-
ton over the possession of the asphalt
deposits in the department of Sacre.
No assurances have yet been received
that the Venezuelan authorities intend
to comply with the desire of the Unit
ed States that no attempt be made to
dispossess the New York & Bermudez
Co of its holdings in the asphalt lake
region until the controversy has been
adjusted judicially.
The Hartford. the Buffalo and the
Scorpion are now at La Guayra, where
they will remain until further orders.
In the meantime the employees of the
New York & Bermudez Co are APP
parently determined to protect the
company's interests. and ready to as
sist the Venezuelan authorities by
force.
The case of the New York & Bermu-
dez Co. was presented in detail to the
state department. Saturday, by Gen.
Francis V. Greene, its president, and
Henry W. Bean. its attorney. Mr.. Bean
is the American who was taken from
La Guayra to Curacao on the Hart
ford q fortnight ago. being landed at
the latter port on Christmas eve.
Dispatches from Curacao told of Mr..
Beams presence on the Hartford. but
the correspondents there were unable
to obtain any information as to his
identity or where he was carried on the
American vessel. He has just arrived
in this country. 1t was learned that
E.N,. ttt
the interests of the New York & Ber-
mudeZ Co. and was thoroughly ia
mliar with all the details of the
trouble.
Gen. Greene and Mir. Bean appeared
Saturday morning. before Judge Pen
field. the solicitor of the state depart
ment. ana in addition to making an
oral explanation of their side of the
case. filed a quantity of maps ana doc
uments in support of their contentious
According to their argument the Ven
ezuelan governments justification for
it's attempt to GUST the New York a
Bermudez Co. is based on a mere tech
nicality. The concession of the New
York d BcrmudeZ Co. embraced as
phalt deposits located at Il point 20
kilometres from a certain village.
Twelve years ago the New York Il
Bermudez Co. made a survey of a line
from the village in the direction of the
asphalt deposits. running it through
the almost impenetrable jungle which
Law between the village and the pitch
lakes On account of the character of
the Jungle the line was necessarily
winding and irregular. thus exhausting
| Ill h N
a much shorter distance than if a
! straight line had been laid.
| The 20 kilometre line ended at the
pitch lake known as La Venezuela. In
| holding that the New York & Bermu-
| deZ Co. has no right to exploit this lake
the Venezuelan government contended
that the 20 kilometre line should have
, been straight and proceeded to so mark
it.
/ The straight line ended some distance
beyond the asphalt lakes and on that
fact the Venezuelan government based
its decision that the New York Il Der
mudez Cos. concession did not en-
brace the deposits. The concession
| however, appears to show the right
of the New York & Bermudez Co. to
explore all the asphalt deposits in tn:
department of Sucre.
After leaving the solicitors office
Gen. Greene and Mr.. Bean had con
ference behind closed doors with Mr.
Order, the third assistant secretary o
state. Gen. Greene declined to discuss
the asphalt controversy.
Gen. Greene and Mr.. Bean contendet
that the action of Venezuela in grant
ing a concession to Warner & Quinlal
of Syracuse. n. Y. to explore the Fell
c.dad asphalt lake was Illegal and ar