Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-12-27


settlement with Great Britain, Germany
and Italy. The attitude of the powers
Friday was about as follows
Great Britain-Will welcome
arbitration and will not insist On
the United States guaranteeing
payment by Venezuela.
Germany-Wil consider arbi-
tration, but wants a specific guar
antee as to payment and tine of
payment.
Italy-Will accept anything
Great Britain and Germany agree
to.
The reply of Germany is not so salts
factory as that of Great Britain. The
British government would welcome arbi-
tration if it could be satisfactorily AK
ranged. Germany recognizes the princi-
pie Of arbitration, but before asserting
to it and entering on arbitration wants
many things settled in advance.
For instance. Germany wants any
claim that may be held by the arbitra-
tors to be guaranteed or if not guaran-
teed she wants to know definitely where
the money is to come from to pay the
claims; who is to provide it and when
it is to be paid. She is expected TO in
sist on indemnity for her operations in
Venezuela and an apology and possibly
an indemnity for the assault on her lega-
ton in Caracas.
Italy's reply assents to arbitration, but
her assent is contingent upon previous
acceptance by Great Britain and Ger
many.
Task Is Perp1exiuG.
The difficulties in the way of bringing
all of these powers into accord and Civ
ing them some assurance that they will
be able to collect anything under the
arbitration, are for the present not re-
garded as great. 1t is a task even more
perpleXing than that which confronted
the allied powers in China two years ago.
Venezuela is without a friend and has
been without a stable government for
many years. Venezuela can guarantee
nothing; the United States will guaran-
tee nothing.
Stories that the United States is will
ing to go further than to promise any
syndicate that chooses to finance Ven
ezuela's debt that we will use our diplo-
matte offices to see that the money is
paid back, Washington correspondent
says, are pure fabrications.
There is something almost threaten
ing in the German position that the
coercive measures must go on unless the
United States can present some form of
guarantee that the debts will be paid.
This brings the Monroe doctrine up in a
slightly new form.
Venezuela could easily pay through
selling territory or yielding sovereignty
to European power. The United States
will not permit Germany or any other
European power to acquire territory in
Venezuela. Why, then, Germany may
ask, should not the United States guar
antee the debts of Venezuela? The Unit
ed States says the debts are something
with which she has no concern. Great
Britain, of course, in the end, is expected
to stand with the United States.
The Washington administration has
been using its best influence to advance
arbitration. and a voluminous correspon-
dence has been carried on by cable.
England and Germany have had it
made clear to them that the United
States will defend the Monroe doctrine
Mt all hazards, and the movement Of
Dewey's warships to closer proximity
TO the Venezuelan coast, while not meant
as a threat may be accepted as a warn
ing that the President meant what he
said in his message: THE Monroe doc
trine should be treated as the cardinal
feature of American foreign policy; but
it would be worse than idle to assert it
unless we intended to back it up, and it
can be backed up only by thoroughly
good navy"