New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-13
THE PLEA FOE ARBITRATION.

Mr. Castro has changed his tone. A day or
two ago he was breathing defiance against his
foes and calling TeneZuelans to arms to resist
the invader He proposed to resist with force
and arms the landing of foreiS troops in Fenez-
uela and, if necessary. to declare the Carib-
bean ports closed and to retire into the noun
tain Businesses Of the interior, whittier his foes
could not follow him. That attitude was in a
measure heroic. 1t was also somewhat MS
trionic In a patriot resisting oppression II
would have been admirable, even though 1t were
hopeless. In dictator seeking to avoid pay
ment of just obligations it commanded neither
admiration nor sympathy.
Now he has seen a great light, and his tone
is entirely changed. He has found. as our
London correspondent we'll expresses it, that
the Monroe Doctrine while a sword against
European colonization southVard, is not a
shield for financial dishonor. He realizes that
the United States will not back him up in his
resistance 10 legitimate claims. Therefore he
cries for peace as loudly as he did for war, and
asks the United States to exercise its good of
fees in getting the case submitted to arbitra-
ton Upon which the most obvious comment
and an entirely just one, is that it is a great
pity he did not think Of that before. We do
not say it is now too late But evidently pro-
more respect and is more likely to meet with a
favorable response If it is made voluntarily, in
the beginning of the dispute, than if it is made
in desperation at the moment when the pressure
OF physical force is found to be overwhelming.
In the one case country seeks arbitration be-
cause it believes in the justice Of its cause and
thinks that the best means of establishing il.
In the other it lays itself open 10 the suspicion
of seeking arbitration because ii IS in a tight
corner and thinks that the least ohjectiona bic
means of avoiding something worse.
Nevertheless the plea is worthy of courteous
consideration. Repentance even at the eleventh
hour is not to be despised. The treaty of The
Hague provided that the signatOry powers
would, so far as possible, have recourse TO
mediation before the appeal to arms 1t
might not be easy TO determine whether or not
the appeal to arms has yet been made in this
case. Nominally it has not been, but practi-
cally one would be inclined TO say it has. Fur
Their, that treaty suggests the possibility Of
mediation even after the peace has been broken.
Venezuela, however is not a party to that
treaty, and it is entirely optional with Great
Britain and Germany whether they will extend
TO her its privileges or not The United States
will. of course, transmit the Venezuelan plea to
those powers, but il cannot dictate their re-
sponse and as we have said, that response has
less reason TO be favorable now than it would
have had little while ago. If, however, the
two powers should see fit to grant the plea they
might find in so doing the readiest way of end
ing an awkward and unpleasant situation. If
they should thus decide, they would be perform
ing an act of grace. If they decide otherwise
and proceed with coercive measures, Mr.. Castro
will have his own dilatorinesS or his obstinacy
chiefly TO blame for the woes that may befall
him.