Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-12
UNITED STATES
WON'T INTERFERE
Nothing Has Occurred to Change
Its Venezuelan Policy
PRESIDENT is INTERESTED
c.a.,,ts win HAY and Chairinen OF
senate and House Committees on
Foreign Affairs.

r,s,,ngton. Dec. 1l.--Minlstcr Bow
:, al Caracas in cablegram 10 the
s,ate department today confirms the
reuorts that all the German and
prl,ish prisoners have been released
This was the only dispatch that came
a. tbe state department over night as
:. The situation, but II was welcome as
,be officials felt that by releasing these
sr,,l,ans President Castro had dimin-
,shed greatly the most serious factor
n the probem. Had he insisted on re-
.,,ainIng them In jail, the allies must
have dispatched force to the capt.
20, Of Venezuela and war outright
,ou,d have ensued. As 1t is. the OFF,
",ais here prefer to regard the status
os no, one OF war, providing the allies
sShere TO their original program OF o.
peaceful blockade perhaps followed
b. the temporary seizure of Venezuela
an customs.
Details Of the sinking Of the Venezu-
elan navy by the allied naval forces are
awaited with interest here and the Of
6cials could but express their regret
and surprise that It had been necessary
10 proceed to such extremes,
Nothing has occurred to induce the
state department to change the policy
of non-lnterfersnc which It has adopt
ed The president is showing particu-
lar interest In the situation and this
morning he called on Secy Hay away
from his regular Thursday diplomatic
reception to confer respecting Venezue-
Ia. The chairman of the two congress
sional committees charged with the care
Of foreign affairs also called at the
state department during the forenoon
to talk over the Venezuelan develop
ments.
Senator Cullom. chairman OF the COM
mttee on foreign relations, expressed
regret that England and Germany had
destroyed, by breaking up or sinking,
the vessels OF the Venezuelan war fleet.
"They might better have kept them for
toy houses. as against a formidable
squadron they were fit for little else"
be remarked
He believed that II It were considered
necessary to seize the vessels. they
could have been kept intact until after
the present trouble was settled and
then restored to Venezuela.
Senator Cullom expressed the opinion
that the United States would not be-
come involved seriously In the present
disturbances, as he was satisfied that
neither Great Britain nor Germany had
any intention Of acquiring Venezuelan
territory.
The state department Is so far well
pleased with the energetic yet discreet
manner In which Minister Bowen has
acted There have been no orders re-
ceiyed by any Of our naval vessels to
repair to Venezuelan ports and II Is not
Intended to issue such orders unless an
emergency should arise, as the presence
Of foreign men-of-war In such cases as
this Is apt to cause useless friction.
There Is. of course, always danger that
the attempt of an American vessel to
pass the peaceful blockade" may In
he end call for the appearance OF
American men-of-war upon the scene.
II Is an interesting fact that UP TO
this point the state department has not
Undertaken to recognize the limitations
hat might be placed on American COM
mcltt III tdst Vi Il NtUtLutldH DUCK
sde. The German government no later
Than last year sought to secure an I'M
outstanding on this point but the state
apartment simply recorded the views
Of that government without either ac-
septing or rejecting them. so that our
hands are free The matter came up
In December, 1901, when Germany was
considering coercive measures against
Venezuela and addressed the following
pomenorial to the state department.
GERMANY MAKES INQUIRY.
Imperial German Embassy. Wash.
lngton, ID. c., Dec. 20, 1901 LIN case the
German government should be Obliged
TO use coercion against Venezuela In
connection with the pending claims II
will have to be considered what kind OF
measures should be applied.
The most important measure OF CO.
ercion that u.s. the blockade OF Vene-
zlean harbors, would have to be car
lied through without declaration OF