The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-11
CASTRO'S WARSHIPS SUNK
 BY VENEZUELA'S NEW FOES

La Guaira, December 10.-Ten German and four British cutters captured the Venezuelan fleet yesterday. They went alongside the Venezuelan vessels and or- dered them to surrender, ana without a shot being fired the British and German forces seized the fleet in the name of the German emperor and the king of England. Two of the vessels which were undergoing repairs were broken up. The cruiser Panther steamed into the harbor during these proceedings with her decks cleared for action. The Venezuelan steam CTS were taken outside the harbor and at o'clock this morning the General Crespo, Tutmo and Margarita were sunk
 The ossun was the only vessel spared, in view of the protest made by the French charge d'affaires, IT. Quevreux, who mo- tiled the commodore of the allied fleet that the Ossun is the property of Frenchman.
 At 10 o'clock last night 1S0 German soldiers were landed and proceeded to Cardonal, a suburb of La Guaira, in which is situated the residence of Ger man Consul Lentz, who with his family, was escorted back to La Guaira and placed on board the warship Vineta On their way back to this port the German sailors met party of Venezuelan sol- diers, but no collision took place. At 5 SS~-><-~-~->-~->-~-<~~ the British and German governments in Caracas was without precedent in the history of civilized countries supposedly at peace with each other, and that such action would be regarded as sufficient ground for a declaration of war.
 Members of the diplomatic corps here, indeed regard 1t as being such a declara- tion in itself. Many year ago, when Pres nos Ayres government, Great Britain be- came involved in a dispute with the South American country and Soras issued a decree that all British subjects should be arrested and their heads taken off at the first shot fired from the British men of-war then threatening to lombard the cities along the Argentine coast. Fortu- nately, an agreement was reached, and the drastic order was not carried out.
 Minister Bowen's prompt action in de- manding of President Castro the release of the German and British subjects ar rested in Caracas yesterday, is in accord ance with the plan agreed on between the German and British ambassadors and Secretary Hay, when the former called at the state department fully three weeks ago, and, in anticipation of the present ugly situation in Venezuela, requested that the United States minister at Cara cas be permitted to protect the lives and property of all British and German citi- zens in Venezuela. It is understood that Castro was notified of this action. It was pointed out by an European diplomat of high rank today that in spite of Min ister Bowen's action in demanding the re- lease of arrested subjects, he Is acting di- rectly contrary to the desire of the Wash ington government not to become in- volved in the international dispute.
 OUR POSITION APPRECIATED.
 Both Germany and Great Britain. it Is said, fully appreciate the position of the United States, and determined that this country shall not be drawn, unnecessarily into the embodiment It Is also stated that President Roosevelt's recent inter- pretations of the Monroe doctrine were being looked to bys'both nations as au- thority for the extent to which they could go in their claims against Vene- zuea without embarrassing the United States.
 The particular utterance of the Presi- dent upon which they have their atten- ton, Is this:
 ''this (the Monroe) doctrine has noth- ing to do with the commercial relations of any American power, save that in truth 1t allows each of them to form such as 1t desires. In other words, 1t is really a guaranty of the commercial in-