The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1902-12-20


rect that foreign claims consequent
ON Venezuelan civil wars have never
been arranged by diplomatic course.
for. before. like arrangements. which
Venezuela concluded with France. in
1883, and with Spain, in isaS, formal
agreement was signed on the 9th Of
February. 1898. between the German
minister at Caracas and the Nenezue-
Ian minister, at the order OF their re-
spective governments. for the ar.
rangement of German claims conse-
quent on the civil war of 1892. Nor
can Importance be given to the other
objection of the Venezuelan govern.
ment, that diplomatic defense of the
present claims Is inadmissible. be
cause an adequate road To a settle.
ment Is open by the decree of the
cath of January. 1901, since the pro.
ceedings provided for by the decree
do not constitute guaranty for
/ Just solution of those claims.
"As has been repeatedly said tn the
Venezuelan government. firstly,
| claims anterior 10 the 23rd of May.
| 1899, (Which is the date of the rising
headed by the present president of
/ the repuhlic) are excluded. while
| Venezuela will naturally have to an
swer for the acts in forming govern
ments. Secondly, all diplomatic inter
vention against revolutions or by
commission we must exclude. appeal
TO the federal high court being alone
permitted. In spite of this. however,
/ as has been seen. there were some
cases where judicial employees de-
pended on the Venezuelan govern
ment, and when occasion has arisen
they have been deprived of their of
! fees without formality.
Finally, the payment of any claims
which commission might allow was
to be affected with certificates of a
new debt OF the revolution. to be
created for that purpose, which, from
what has been seen hitherto. would
| scarcely have value. In fact, the
| procedure employed by the Nenezue
! Ian government has not led TO "A sat
isfnotory solution of the claims. In
! particular, the few German claims
which would be presented To the com
mission have been, in part, nnseemly
refused, in part reduced, evidently In
arbitrary manner. and even the rec
ognized claims have not been paid
but the injured parties have been
asked to submit TO project of law
to be submitted to congress. After
the failure of several attempts to in
duce the government of the republic
| a n
the imperial government has been
obliged itself to examine its subjects
claims and Immediately present To
the Venezuelan government those
which were found justified. 1t Is true
that afterward the Venezuelan gov
ernment raised the possibility of OBJ
tanning favorable solution by con.
gress, but the law which was sane.
toned by congress at the beginning
of the year only repeats the insult.
fcient provisions of the decree of the
cath of January, 1901. Besides II only
comprises claims which could not be
duly presented to a commission.
Afterwards the Venezuelan gov
ernment conducted its correspond.
ence in an almost offensive tone. and
/ finally published the notes referred
to, among which were some marked
confidential, without the consent of
the imperial government. accompany
ing them with memorandum
! couched in offensive terms.
lin spite of the sincerity of the de-
sire which animates the imperial gov
ernment to maintain existing good re-
lations with Venezuela, and, although
far from desiring not to respect the
sovereignty of the republic or to in
termeddle in it's interior institutions,
1T can only see in the proceedings en-
ployed by the Venezuelan govern
ment an intention to deny to the
German claims the settlement due
them in conformity with information
al law. IL, therefore, believes itself
compelled to contribute in definite
manner TO their immediate satisfae-
ton.
"The imperial government has CON
sequently instructed me to pray the
Venezuelan government TO satisfy,
without deIay, the German credits
which, according TO my note of the
3ist Of December Last, amount 10 L.
71s,815 bolivars, 81 centimes. Further
more, the manner In which German
claims consequent on the war have
been treated by the government OF
the republic has led the imperial gov
ernment to think that other claims
of its subjects against the republic
also stand in need OF support.
"To arrive at a just conclusion,
therefore, German claims consequent
on the present civil war, and the
credits OF German houses occasioned
by the construction of the slaughter
house at Caracas, and the amount due
the great Venezuelan railroad for in
testest and amortization scrip OF the
five per cent. Venezuelan loan
OF 1895, which were delivered in re-
demption of a guaranty Of interest,
must be considered in the same light
by order Of the imperial govern
ment I have to ask the Venezuelan
market to make declaration imme.
diately that II recognizes in principle
the correctness Of these demands and
is willing TO accept the decision Of
a mixed commission with the object
of having them determined and as
sured in all their details. The Inn
perial government hopes the govern
ment of the republic will satisfy the