The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-12
EFFECT OF BLOCKADE.
United States Does Not Know Where
 It Stands.

1C Stand6.
 Washington. Dec. I1.-It is an interest ing fact that up to this point the State Department has not undertaken to rec ognize the limitations that might be placed on American commerce in case of a Ven ezuelan blockade. The German govern ment no later than last year sought to secure an understanding on this point but the State Department simply recorded the views of that government without either accepting or rejecting them so that our ht Ids are free. The matter came up in December. 1901, when Germany was con- sdering coereive measures against Ven- ezuela and addressed the following pro- memora to the State Department:
 Imperial German Embassy,
 Washington, December %, 1901.
 Tn case the German government should be obliged to use coercion against Ven ezuela in connection with the pending claims 1t will have to be considered what kind of measures should be applied.
 The most important measures of coer- cion. that is. the blockade of Venezuelan harbors, would have to be carried through without a declaration of war preceding it. The blockade would, therefore. be a peace blockade. Such blockade would touch likewise the ships of neutral pow CTS, inasmuch as such ships although a confscation of them would not have to be considered would have to be turned away and prohibited until the blockade should be raised. In the same manner European states have proceeded on such occasions, especially England and France"
 Acting under cabled instructions re- ceived today from their home offices, Mir Von Holeben. the German Ambassador, Sir Michael Herbert. the British Ambas- sador today presented to the State De- pertinent the thanks of their govern ments for the success of Minister Bowen acting on behalf of the United States in securing the release 0f the German and British subjects arrested by President Castro at Caracas. Both diplomats dis cussed the discussion with Secretary Hay who offered to keep the embassies ln- formed of all the news received here from the American legation in Caracas or from any of the American consuls This information is being cabled at once from the embassies to Berlin and Lon don which 1t is understood are receiv ing the bulk of their advices from Wash ington
 Very little in the way of direct instruc- tions have been received by either the German or British ambassador from their
 
 ton in the last few days. They have been directed to assure the State De- partment that neither Great Britain nor Germany intends to develop in any par ticular plan of joint action against Ven rzuela which was drawn up in London and Berlin and submitted to the State Department some weeks ago.
 Mir. Pulido, Venezuela's Charge d'Af- faires, has received no confirmation from his government of the sinking of the Venezuelan gunboats by the foreign fleet off LaGuiara and today he said:
 ''I confess I am unable to see what the foreign powers mean by sinking my coun- trv's little gunboats, which are scarcely more than yachts compared to the for eign men of war. l do not understand It for the reason that assurances have been given in the last day or two that block sde established was to be peace block ade I regard the sinking of the gunboats as absolutely unwarranted. It will be found that the situation has been gravely complicated thereby"