Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-18
Bowen obtnIns HeIp.

49, 49, @A~a
remains on pleasant relations with
Venezuela.
Bowen Obtains HeIp.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 1.-THE following
cable was sent today by the Navy depart
ment to Admiral Dewey at San Juan:
Send competent. officer with dispatch In
torpedo boat Destroyer or other vessel to
caracas as assistant to American min
lister.
The following cable was also sent to
Commander Diehl Of Marietta, nov lying at
La Guayra:
Send Van Dusen as assistant to the
American minister temporarily.
The of1ceT from Dewey's feet will relieve
Lieutenant Commander Van Dusen, who is
only an hour distant from Caracas.
The Navy department explains that one
reason for sending the officers TO Caracas
is that Mr.. Bowen is almost overwhelmed
with work imposed on him by his many
charges. He has nearly all the English
residents in Caracas domiciled in the
American legation and Is feeding them from
his own table.
The torpedo boat Destroyer will serve as
q dispatch boat to keep Mr.. Bowen in touch
with the nearest cable station in case the
La Guayra cable Is cut.
There will be no effort to resist a war
blockade OF the Venezuelan coast as
against merchant ships, though custom re-
quires that due notice shall be given, and
that fact. in connection with the declara-
lions made in the British Parliament, will,
It Is understood. be SUFFICIENT to justify all
neutral nations to agree that a state OF war
actually exists.
The State department is still hopeful that
arbitration will be accepted for the alter
native is now realized to be actual war. A
dap1arofGop NJ mar uro,,Id aF opna oIotho A.
Venezuelans with the full rights Of be,lig-
erents and might greatly p~rotract the ef-
forts Of the allies to subdue President
Castro.
state of war Exists.
LONDON, Dec. t7.-In the course Of a
long statement in the House Of Commons
today Mr.. Balfour said there was no
such thing as a pacific blockade" A state
OF war actually existed with Venezuela and
an intimation thereof would soon be given
to the powers.
Mr.. Balfour added that the blockade
would be carried out with as little incon-
venience to ~neutrals as possible. Nothing
definite had occurred with reference to the
arbitration proposal since his previous
statement on the subject.
This statement was made in re-
ply TO the desire OF the liberal leader, Sir
Henry Campbell Bannerman, for Informal
ton on the Venezuelan situation. After re-
iteratlng Lord Lansdowne's brief statement
in the House OF Lords yesterday, the pre-
mier continued.
THE blockade will be carried out by
Great Britain and Germany along different
portions Of the coast. and though the two
fleets will have the same objects they will
not act as one force. We never had any
intention of landing troops in Venezuela or
of occupying territory even temporarily.
We do not think II desirable on either mill
tary or other grounds.
"All the conditions governing such a
blockade have been carefully considered
and will be published in due time for the
information Of neutrals. The government
IS most anxious that these operations, the
necessity FOR which we deeply regret,
should be as little inconvenient to neutrals
Is they can possibly be made.
mo difference will be made between the
vessels OF the various neutral powers. 1
think It is quite likely that the United
States will think that there cannot be
such a thing as a pacific blackade,' and I,
personally, take the same view. Evidently
g. blockade involves a state OF war;"
Mr.. Balfour concluded his statement
with saying he could make no announce
ment assto whether the offer OF arbitra-
tton from Venezuela would be accepted
by Great Britain.
The premier also said the operations
were reluctantly undertaken, not to re-
cover debts, but, after a long and patient
delay, to recover compensation for as
faults on British subjects and the seizure
Of British vessels.
LONDON. Dec. 1S.-The Times this morn
ing gives prominence to a letter from Sir
Robert Citizen, declaring the foreign office
Travely blundered in associating itself with
Germany against Venezuela. Sir Robert
contends that a blockade will be useless
against a bankrupt state, while the seizure
OF the customs will be tantamount to an
nexatlon and full of danger, considering
the peculiar relations of Venezuela to the
United States.
Sir Robert strikes his most alarming
note when he refers to the danger OF Ger
many embroiling Great Britain with the
United States. He believes that Germany
would not hesitate to occupy Venezuelan
territory, and he thinks the less said about
British claims the better, and doubts II
Great Britain has any good moral claims
against Venezuela, and concludes:
The best course is to cry on at all haz-
ards, and at the utmost exact punishment
for the injured seamen by getting hold. IL
possible, OF the guilty Venezuelan officials.
The Times. without endorsing Sir Rob-