The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-12-16
THE VENEZUELAN SITUATION.

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THE REVIEW does not believe in
wholesale aud sweeping criticism of
any branch of the government of any |
governmental policy, as it recognizes
that at best it cannot know all OF the
important facts that influence any |
particular course of action.
In the present affairs with Venezuela /
it would appear to us that the United !
States has made great smistake in
allowing the powers to proceed to
overt acts of war ag ainst the Venezue-
Ian government.
The day when men were imprisoned
for debt has long since been passed in
civilized countries and it would seem
two such great nations as Germany
and Great Britain could not afford to
go to war, endangering the lives. the
peace and perhaps the very exlstance
of nation on account OF petty financial
claims. For years the Turkish govern
ment has been permitted to exist,
owing every nation, paying but little
or no attention 10 the claims OF aty
one, and committing atrocities and
brutalites which have been a crying
shame against Christian civilization.
England and Germany have had no
guns to turn against the unspeakable
Turk. The protest of America against
the barbarous cruelties practiced upon
the Armenian Jews, fell on deaf ears.
But venzuela. Christian nation if a
turbulent one, must be punished in
extremis, the powerful warships of the
proudest nations on earth must be sent
to capture and destroy the poor little
navy of this bankrupt country, its bust:
ness and the business of every private
and all on account of claims for dam
ages, many of them doubtless padded
and Unjust claims for damages. which
have never been adjudicated and which
in their grand total do not aggregate a
million dollars. The peace of nations
must be valuable thing if l. is to be
broken for such cause? The congress
at the Hague is not for such as these.
Peace is to be preserved toward Turkey
the dismemberment of which might
disturb the "balance of power" Peace
is to be preserved between nations
whose guns are of equal weight. But
peace is of small moment when a
weakling nation is to be considered
and 100000 trembles in the balance.
The pity of it is that the United States
has seemingly acquiesed in all that has
been done by Germany and Great
Britain. We will not be severe in
criticism as we do not know all the
facts, but it would appear that this
country has lost great opportunity to
become the great and powerful arbiter
of the fate of all the Lstin-American
republics. This country should not
have permitted resort to force until
every other method of collecting the
debt had been thoroughly tried and
proven failure. There is no doubt
but that Venezuela has been IN the
wrong, but the unprecedented action
, OF allies has given to President Castro
and his people the sympathy of all
right-thinking people. We may step in
in time to maintain the letter of tn
, Monroe doctrine, but the spirit of tn.
doctrine has already been violated.
violated for petty cause and with the
apparent approval of this country. 1t
may we'll be but the beginning of a
;, series OF warlike aud oppressive moves
by which the European powers may
seek to retard the growth of South
i, American prosperity and to weaken the
! power and influence of the United
States in that continent.
1t Is to be hoped that later cevelop
ments will place the State department
in more favorable light and that the
war.cloud may pass away without any
greater destruction of life and property
y Eastern Star meets tonight.