The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-12-24
WHAT IS THE FUSS ABOUT?

Some two million dollars of claims
against the Venezuelan government.
The details are not clearly set forth,
but Great Britain's share in the ag-
gregate is said to be about 500, 600, or
q one-twentieth interest. Italy's claim
is so small, she says she will abide by
any agreement that England and Ger
many may make. The chief claimant
is Germany, representing a German
railway company which built some
200 miles of road and laid the tracks
at 500, 600 mile, or $50, 900, 900. AS
the aggregate Of the claims is 80, 000,
600, it is plain that Venezuela had
gone a long ways toward completing
payment to the German construction
company.
Several months ago while these
creditors of Venezuela, or more par
ticularly Germany, were pressing
Venezuela for payment of the remain
der of this debt, negotiations were
disturbed by rebellion against the
authority of President Castro. The
President was at the time arranging
in Europe for a loan, proposing to
place the agents Of the bankers fur
nishing the nation the money in
charge of the Venezuelan custom
houses till the loan should be paid.
While Castro was engrossed with the
difficult task of subduing the rebellion
and carrying to a conclusion his
scheme for the loan in question, joint
action against Venezuela was agreed
upon by Great Britain and Germany,
with Italy's concurrence, neither
claimant to agree to financial set
Element till its allies, also, were salts
fled. Germany, the chief claimant,
had inveigled England, having COM
paratively insignificant sum involved,
into this demonstration against
weak nationality at time when it
was rent with civil war. Its ships
of war have been seized and destroyed
and its seacoast defences bombarded
and occupied by the allied claimants.
In England, the discovery of the
German alliance, for a purpose so
petty, in cause SO humiliating to the
national spirit. has aroused indigna-
ton in Parliament, and among the
newspapers and the people. The i'm
portance of friendly relations with
the United States is understood in
Great Britain, and among the people
the desire is sincere and apart from
selfish or political reasons. 1t is seen
that there are possibilities of danger
in the Monroe Doctrine, for the de-
fence of which the United States will
stand like rock. On the other hand
Great Britain has yielded quasi as
sent to the Doctrine, and at the incep-
ton of the demonstration against Ven
ezuela Germany plainly signified to
the United States that its purpose
was not to occupy territory, but sim
ply to collect debt
Recent events, in pursuance of the
purpose of the allied claimants to col
lect their claims by force should be we'll
understood by the readers of the public
press-the suggestions of arbitration,
OF reference of the matters6in conten-
ton to The Hague tribunal, the farci-
cal proposition of pacific block
ade, and the final declaration of a
blockade that is a measure of belli-
gerency.
1t is all suggestive of rapacity.
The lion of the nations is again abroad
for blood and the tiger hunts with
the lion-has indeed enlisted. the king
of beasts to beat up the jungle and
bring the game to bay. For England's
object in this partnership with Ger
many one must look elsewhere than to
her beggarly 500, 600 in the Venezuelan
claims. 1t is easily matter of doubt
if the Venezuelan government in
equity owes anything to the German
railway construction company. Such
institutions are not apt to default on
themselves III enterprises of the ma
ture in question. The claimants
gambled with fate in their transac-
tions with Venezuela. II is not prob
able that they lost. They took the
risk, they knew the risk, and UNI
questionably protected themselves.
Now they appeal to force to recover
balance of winnings claimed to be
due, and arrrogate to themselves the
rights of claimants and the powers of