Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-12-18
DEMANDS ON VENEZUELA.
Authentic Copies of the Demands
Presented by Germany and
Great Britain.
They MUST Be TAKEN As ULTlMATUM.
The Entire Subject Traversed and
P~recedents Cited to show That
yenexuela's Defense Against the
Claims is Not Well Grounded and
Can Not BE Admitted.

Caracas, Venezuela, Dec. 14.-The
following are authentic copies of the
demands presented by the German
and British ministers Monday, De-
cember s, before elnbarking at La
Guaira:
The British Demand.
ITO the Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Replying to your excellency's note
of the 4th inst.,I have the honor to in
form you that 1 have received instruc-
tions from his majesty's government
to point out to the Venezuelan gov
eminent, in writing, that regarding
the steamer Ban Right, the British
government have given full explana-
tons, and have shown that there ex-
lists no legitimate ground for COM
plant. Nor does his majesty's gov
eminent think there is any reason to
attribute blame to the authorities of
Trinidad, who only acted conform
ably with instructions.
81 have the honor to further ex-
press that his majesty's government
regrets the situation which has
arisen, but can not accept your note
as sufficient reply to my communion
ton, nor as indicative of the intention
of the Venezuelan government to sat
isfy the claims which his majesty's
government have brought forward,
and it must be understood that they
include all w%ell-founded claims which
have arisen in consequence of the last
civil war and the previous ones, and
the i'll treatment and Imprisonment
of British subjects, and also include
an arrangement for the foreign debt.
l have asked the Venezuelan govern
ment to make a declaration that they
recognize in principle the justice of
these claims, that they will immedi-
ately make compensation in the navi-
cation cases, and the cases above
Intentional and in those in which Brit
ish subjects have been unjustly i'm
prisoned or i'll treated; and that re-
specting other claims, they will ac-
cept the decision of a mixed commits
sion as to the amount and guaranty
which should be given for payment.
I have also expressed the hope that
the Venezuelan government will defer
to these demands, and not obligate
his majesty's government to take
steps to obtain satisfaction.
81 have added that his maiesty's
government has been informed of the
claims of the German government
against Venezuela, and that the two
governments have agreed to operate
jointly for the purpose of obtaining
n arrangement of all their claims,
nd that his maiesty's government
will require theimmediate payment of
q sum equal to that which, in the
first case, should be paid to the Ger
man government. Any balance after
the payment of urgent claims shall
be held on account for the liquidation
of claims which might go before the
commission.
81 have, moreover, instructions
from his majesty's government to
state clearly that this communication
must be taken as an ultimatum.
TSigned.1 "HAGGARD,
british Minister"
"To His Excellency, Senior Lopez Ba-
ralt, Minister of Foreign Affairs:
"Caracas, Dec. 7.
The ri Demand.
Mr.. Minister: In the name of the
government of his majesty the Ger
man emperor, J. have the honor to
make the following communication to
the government of Venezuela:
"The imperial government has been
duly informed of the note of the
minister of foreign affairs of Vene'
zuela dated the 9th of May last. In
that note the Venezuelan government
refused the demands of the imperial
government relative to the payment
of German claims arising out of the
civil wars of 1898 to 1900, and to sup
port their refusal, referred to argu
ments already put forward. The i'm
perial government even after examin'
ing those arguments anew do moi
think they can consider them salts
factory. The government of the re
public argues, in the first place, thai
owing to the interior legislation o.
the country it is not possible to ar
range the claims of foreigners arts
ing from the wars by the diplomatic
course, thus asserting the doc
trine that diplomatic interven
ton is excluded by interior
legislation. That doctrine is not il
conformity with international law
since the question of judging wheth
err such Intervention is admissible
must be approached, not according
to the dispositions of the interior leg
i~slation, but in accordance with tn
principles of international" law.
"The Venezuelan government
with the object of making a demon
stration of diplomatic defense, clair
that this is inadmissible, and relic
on the twentieth article of the treat
of amity, commerce and navigatio
between the imperial government an
the Republic of Colombia of the 23r
of July, 1892. This argument ]
wanting in efficiency, firstly, becaus
the treaty is valid only between tn
German empire and Colombia, an
because Section 3 of said article put
, no obstacle in the way of a diplt
:. matte defense against German claim
arising out of acts committed by tn
Colombian government OF its organ
Likewise, the affirmations OF tn
Venezuelan government. are not CO
rect that foreign claims consequer
on Venezuelan civil wars have nevt
been arranged by diplomatic cours
for, before, like arrangements, whic
Venezuela concluded with France,
I 1885, and with Spain, in 1898, a form
. agreement was signed on the 9th