The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-09
German and British Representa- tiVDs Cut Off Relations
 With Venezuela
LOOKS LIKE MORE TROUBLE
 FOR THE LITTLE REPUBLIC
Ultimatum Issued In Which Venezuela Is Ordered to Pay Her Debts at once-castro Cannot Be-
 lieve the News.

Caracas. December s.-The British minister W. D. Haggard ,and the Ger man charge daffaires, Won Pilgrim-Bal- tazzi. left Caracas at o'clock this after noon for La Guaira, where Minister flag gard went on board the British cruiser Retribution, and Herr Won Pilgrim-Bal- tazzi boarded the German cruiser Vineta- Both the British and the German lega- tions have been closed. Yesterday even ing the British minister and the German charge d'affaires deposited at the private residence of the foreign minister, Lepez Farralt separate demands-the British demand being for the settlement or claims and other matters arising out or the last revolutions, and the German de- mand being for the payment of the in- terest on the German loan and other claims The demands are without any specification as to the time given for an answer, but they are in the form of an ultimatum.
 Minister Leaves Caracas.
 At o'clock today Minister Haggard his secretary, Grant Duff, and the chan cellor of the legation Godfrey, left Cara cas in company with the German charge d'affaires, Von Pilgrim -Baltizzi, for La Guaira- On the arrival of the train at the latter port at o'clock, thirty off, cers met the diplomats at the station. Minister Haggard and the other members of the British legation went on board the British Cruiser Retribution, while the German charge daffaires boarded the German cruiser vineta- The ministers left Caracas without previously notifying the Venezuelan government, probably in order to avoid any hostile demonstration. Yesterday and today being festivals in Caracas all the public offices are closed and it is impossible to see any one in au- thority regarding the departure of the ministers. The handing in of demand of such a nature at the private residence of a minister, forgetting diplomatic rules, is believed in some quarters to be without precedent.
 The actual situation is incomprehensi- He here. Up to this morning no one ap' peared to know anything about the An- elo-German projected demonstration.
 The foreign minister said he considered A. menace on the part of Germany to be inadmissible and that any threat would be only a balloon d'essaf' Ca feeler); while as for England. said the minister, she has no grounds for aggression.
 The Associated Press correspondent in- spected the two legations yesterday and there were then no preparations indicat- irg that the ministers intended abandon ing their posts. The government has made no military preparations at La Guaira. Venezuelan citizens considered the threat of a demonstration as bluff and set aside the possibility of an Anglo Gel man demonstration.
 The correspondent learns that one of the chief officers of the German cruiser Vineta told German family at La Gau- aira that a blockade of the coasts of Venezuela was imminent
 UItimatums Presented.
 London, December S.-Great Britain ana Germany have presented ultima :urls to Venezuela, which will be followed up by the seizure ol the customs unless Q sat isfactory settlement is forthcoming with i'll a brio- period.
 The ultimatums have a time limit, but the exact date cannot be ascertained here. The foreign office states, with re- gard to the time limit:
 "It is reasonable time in which Fene- zuels can satisfy the injured government. Both notes are practically identical all though the amounts of the claims differ. The notes merely reitera's the continued disregard by the Venezuela government of all our our representatives, specially our claims and demand imm sdiate action on the part of President Castro's gov ernment in connection herewith"
 The British governments case IS prac- tically Identical with the statements made in previous dispatches from Lon don in which it was first announced that the present action was contemplated. Should the British ultimatum meet with a hostile reception, the British minister. w. H. D. Haggard has been instructed to go aboard a British warship or, if that is impractcable to go into the neighbor- ing colony. The foreign office, however, does not, appear to anticipate such a contingency. nor indeed, does it look for ward to any startling development within the next few days.
 me CuinIndtfOn.
 Premier Balfour's announcement in the house this afternoon is regarded as merely the obvious continuation which has been daily becoming more critical for the past three months. The Asso- ciated Press correspondent learns that a complicatng circumstance has arisen in the inability of the foreign office to communicate with Minister Haggard. The officials here believe that he is still in Caracas But owing to the reported break of the cable, they are ignorant as to what steps he is taking, or what the Venezuelan government Intends to do. The foreign office is hourly awaiting inn portant dispatches from Caracas, but up to late hour tonight none had arrived. While the government is rather worried at its inability to get an answer from Minister Haggard, serious alarm is not felt especially as inquiries have re- vealed the fact that the Venezuelan rep resentatives are in similar situation.
 Tho foreign office sav-.