The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-12-25
GERMANY YIELDS.
NOW STATED SHE is WILLING TO
ARBITRATE.
Public Opinion in This Country
Said to Have Been too Strong for
NAL Announcement is Withheld
for Day or Tive.

Berlin, Dec. 20.-The answer of Ger
many to the arbitration proposal in be-
half of of Venezuela, received through
the United States government, is its
acceptance The delivery of this reply
to the United States for transmission
to Minister Bowen is delayed for day
or two for the reason that another solu-
ton may be found, possibly throug.
President Castro yielding. Four days
ago the idea of the German government
was in favor of rejecting arbitration,
and that is understood here to have
been the temper of the British foreign
office. While it is impossible to trace
the steps that led to reversal of this
view, it appears that the state of pub
lie opinion in the United States, so far
as Germany is concerned, produced a
revision of the first idea.
A semi-official statement in the
Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung says:
ga local newspaper has published
cablegram from New York saying: The
greatest excitement prevails here. The
entire press holds Germany to be respon-
sible for the present situation. Ger
many is attacked in hostile articles,
while Great Britain is praised. The
newspapers insist that Germany intends
to acquire colonies in Venezuela and
Brazil"
"We have noticed similar kilograms
in English newspapers" says the Nord
Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. "and if
these statements are representative of
the feeling in the United States with
even approximate correctness, we would
have sincerely to deplere that the Amer
lean press shows itself accessible to
wholly unfounded suspicion Of Ger
many's policy. The government of the
United States long ago was categorically
informed that Germany is seeking moth
ing In Venezuela beyond satisfaction
for just claims and compensation. The
Anglo German cooperation is based
upon the similarity of the interests af-
fected, and only willful prejudice could
detect difference in the proceedings of
the two countries. The course of events
will demonstrate that the intentions
of the German government are free
from adventurous motives"
Washington, Dec. 0.-Secretary Hay
has received partial responses from the
governments of Great Britain and Ger
many and Italy respecting the proposal
TO arbitrate the Venezuelan differences.
Great Britain is favorable to arbitra-
ton with proper safeguards.
Germany accepts arbitration in prin-
ciple, but finds multitude of small ad-
justments to be made before entering
into the agreement.
Italy, as the junior partner of the al
lies, declares that she is favorable to
arbitration, but will be bound probably
by the action of the senior parties.
To secure these results the American
embassies at London, Berlin and Rome
have been working theoretically to carry
out the instructions of Secretary Hay
to ascertain how the proposals would be
received. AS far as England is con-
cerned, the safeguards referred to are
believed to relate to the question of
guarantee, which is full of difficulty.
In this connection, as previously in
Dictated in these dispatches, some con-
sideration is again being given to the
feasibility of the assumption of respon-
sibility for any award assessed against
Venezuela by responsible private aSen-
cies, but the United States government
is determined not to allow itself to be
drawn into the position of guarantor in
this case. for the precedent once estab-
lished might require the United States
to become the financial hacker of all
South and Central America.
However, if private concerns can be
induced to enter the field, the United
States Government will do what it can
to reduce their risks. SECRETARY Hay,
Sir Michael Herbert, the British am
bassador, and Senator Depew were in
conference during the day, and it sus-
pected that this phase of the case was
touched upon, although no confrma-
tion can be had at this time.
The German position presents the
greatest difficulties, for not only does
it involve demand for apologies, which
are extremely repugnant to Venezuela,
but also presents SO many points requir-
ing adjustment that it is evident that
many days, or perhaps weeks, must
elapse before adjustment can be effected
and the case prepared for arbitration,
and the danger of the delay in the face
of a blockade which seriously cripples
commerce and invites hostile collisions
with Venezuelans cannot be overesti-
mated.
The efforts of the United States,
therefore, must be directed towards
fastening Germany'a action ON the ar