Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-12
DEWEY NAY Be SENT
Navy Department May Send
the Admiral and His Fleet
to Venezuela
is NOW ONLY ONE DAY DISTANT
Sinking of the Venezuelan Vessels by
the German and British Fleet Crit
icized at Washington - The Action
Was Hardly Necessary in Opinion of
the Washington Government.

Washington, Dec. 12.-Admiral Dew
ey, in command of the strongest fleet of
warships ever assembled, is within a
days sail of the Venezuelan coast.
What his instructions are the secretary
of the navy declines to make public.
This is Dewey's first sea service since
he returned from Manila. He is the adj
miral of the navy, and he has the con-
fidence of President Roosevelt now, as
he had when, on Feb. 25, 1898, he was
directed by Mr.. Roosevelt as acting sec
rotary of the navy to get ready for Of
fensive operations in the Philippines
and prepare to move at once on the dec
laration of war. Dewey has with him
| five battleships and fifteen cruisers.
The battleship Texas and the cruiser
Topeka left the Portsmouth navy yard
hurriedly last night to join Dewey's
| fleet.
| With Dewey in command of such
| fleet, only twenty-four hours distant
from LaGuayra, the government In
Washington has no fear that England
| and Germany will go beyond a peacefui
blockade at that port, or do anything
that will question their recognition OF
the Monroe doctrine The state de-
partment is serene, and so is the WHITE
house and navy department. NO hign
officials will give the reason for their
serenity and confidence in England and
Germany.
| They admit, however, that the paper
assurances of those two great powers
are not the only guarantee that the OPP
erations in Venezuelan waters VIII not
go beyond the legitimate punishment OF
President Castro for his defiance OF IN
ternational obligations in regard to the
rights of foreign residents, interest on
debts guaranteed by the Venezuelan
government, and the proper respect due
the ministers of foreign powers.
No sympathy for Castro is manifest
in Washington. He has been marplot
in international affairs, as well as die
tatorial bully in his own country. he
has insulted the ministers of the United
States, as well as those Of England and
Germany. He has dfsregarded the
rights of American and other foreign
residents in Venezuela. He has sought
in every way possible to create con-
dition that would involve this govern
ment with the European powers. He
deserves punishment, and this govern
ment will not stand in the way of Eng
land and Germany administering prop
er punishment.
But the way in which they began,
by sinking several Venezuelan vessels,
is not regarded as good promise that
the naval officers of those powers will
observe all the fine diplomatic points
which their governments have made in
their paper assurances to the United
States.
The high officials in Washington do
not like the brutality of English and
German methods of punishment. 1t Is
not in keeping with American ethics.
We did not like the way the German
warship sunk one of the little naval
tugs of Hayti few months ago. We
do not like the way they sunk several
Venezuelan ships Wednesday. 1t was
not necessary, and 1t was not strictly in
harmony with the assurances of the
English and German governments when
they sought to learn the disposition of
this government toward their efforts
to compel Castro to observe interna-
tional obligations.
1t has been the understanding here
that while Germany and England would
adopt stringent measures to compel
Venezuela to pay the claims of their
subjects, conditions of actual warfare,
with the consequent danger of blood
cd fha ,tNt,a 1f
tai and private property would be
avoided. The course of the allies, there
fore, in scuttling Venezuelan national
vessels before the Venezuelan govern
ment had committed any act of hostil-
ity is regarded by many members of the
administration as q h-handed and
useless proceeding. which, to say the
least, is surprising, after the assurances
received by President Roosevelt from
Germany as to what that nation in
tended to do in securing the liquidation
of the debts owed to German subjects
by Venezuela.
Just one year ago yesterday the Ger
man ambassador to Washington left
with Secretary Hay a memorandum
setting forth the differences between
his government and Venezuela, and ex-
planning what Germany proposed to do.
In that memorandum the following was
contained:
1--WE declare, especially, that under
no circums tances do we consider in our
proceedings the acquisition or the per-
manent occupation of Venezuelan ter
ritory. II the Venezuelan government
should use force to the application of
measures of coercion, we should have to
consider, furthermore, if at this occa-
sion we should ask likewise for O. great
er security for the fuIfillment of the
claims of the Company of Discount of
Berlin. After the posting of an ulti
matum, first of all, the blockade of the
more important, Venezuelan harbors;
that is, principally the harbors of La
Guayra and Porto Cabello would have
measure Of coercion, as the levying OF
| duties for import and export being
nearly the only source of income of
| Venezuela, would in this way be made
! impossible. Likewise, it would be diff
cult in this way to provide the country,
which depends upon the import of corn,
with food. If this measure does not
seem efficient. we would have to con-
slider the temporary occupation on our
part of different Venezuelan harbor
places and the levying of duties in
| those places.
The most important measure of CO.
| operation-that is. the blockade Of
| al !, arhnr-e.--yyG11ld have RI he