New-York tribune., 1902-12-12
VIEW.S IN W4SHINGION.
England and Germany Eapress
Thanks for Mr. B0zcen S 4ct1On.

/
Washington, Dec 11.-Acting under tnstruc-
tions received by cable to-day from their nome
| offices, Mr. Won Holleben. the German AhDas-
| sador and Sir Michael Herbert, the British Am
| bassador to-day presented to the State Depart
| ment the thanks of their governments Ior lile
| services of Minister 6owen. acting on behaii oL
| the United States. In securing he release u
| the German and British subjects afres~eo pS
| President Castro at Caracas. Both dlploHla''
discussed the Venezuelan situation with secfe-
| tarv Hay. who offered to keep the embassies
| Informed of all news received here from tue
| American Legation at Caracas or from any oi
| the American consuls- This information Is De
| ing cabled at once from the embassies 10 Der
| lin and London, which. IL is understood are
receiving most of their advices on the seheA
uelan situation from Washington.
| little in the way of direct instructions mas
been received by the German and British aIh-
| bassadors from their governments on the VeneZ-
u.lan situation in the last few days They
have been directed to assure the state bepai'-
ment that neither Great Britain nor Germany
intends to depart in any particular from the
plan of Joint action against Venezuela Whlch
was drawn I'D in London and Berlin. and SUD-
m!tted to the State Department some weeks aso-
Mr. Pulido Venezuelas Charge d'Affalres, mas
received no confirmation from his government
of the sinking OF the Venezuelan gunboatS oy
the foreign fleet off La Guayra. and to-day salo'
I confess am unable to see what the foreign
powers mean by sinking my country 49, iirts
gUnbaats which are scarcels- more than yachls
compared to the foreign men-of-War' 90 ny
understand it, for the reason that aSsutAnces. Il.
have been given only in the last day OF Two lIidt
the blockade esta blished was 70 be peace
| blockade" I regard the sinking OF the gun.
boats as absolutely unwarranted 1t VIII De
found that the situation mas oeeH SLA'el' ~
plicated thereby
THIS CoUNTRY's HANDS FREE
It an interesting fact that up to this point
the State Department has not undertaken to
recognize the limitations which might be placed
on American commerce in case of Venezuelan
blockade. The German Government no later
than last year sought to secure an understand
ing on this point, but the State Department
simply recorded the views of that government
without either accepting or rejecting thenl' SO
that our hands are free. The matter came up IN
December, 1901, when Germany was considering
coercive measures against Venezuela. and ad-
dressed fine following note to the State Depart
ment:
Washington, D. c.. December ~, 1SUl
In case the German Government should be
Obliged to use coercion against Fenezuea III
connection with the pending claims. 1t Will nave
to be considered what kind Of measures should
be applied The most important measure or CO.
ercion-that is, the blockade or Senezuelah
harbors-would have to be carried through with
out declaration OF war preceding 1t Inc
blockade would therefore, be peace blockade
Such a blockade would touch likewise the ships
of neutral powers, inasmuch as such ships, al
though a .confiscaton Of them would not nave
10 he considered would have to be turned away
and prohibited until the niockane nn snouSt sfatee e
have proceeded on such occasions, especially
England and France
WORD FROM MINISTER BOWEN.
Minister Bowen, at Caracas, in cable dis
patch 10 the State Department, dated to-day
confirms the press reports that ali the German
and British prisoners have been released Ihls
was the only advice that came TO the State De-
partnaent as to the situation in Venezuela but 1t
was welcome for the officials felt that by re-
leasing these civilians President Castro had
greatly diminished the most dangerous FACTOR IN
the problem. Had he insisted on retaining then1
in iail the allies must have dispatched 1orce 10
the capital of Venezuela, and war would nave
ensued AS it is, the officials here prefer 10 re-
gard the status as not one of war. providing
The allies adhere to their original programme of
peaceful blockade, perhaps followed py the
temporary seizure Of Venezuelan custom houses.
Details Of the sinking of the Venezuelan navy
bv the allied naval forces awaited with in
terest here and the officials expressed their re-
eret and surprise that it had been found neces-
sary to proceed to such extremes
Nothing has yet occurred to induce the state
Department to change the policy OF non-intefIer-
| ence which 1t has adopted
PRESIDENT GREATLY INTERESTED.
| The President is showing particular interest in
the situation, ana morning he Cdlieu SOGiS-
} tary Hay away from his regular Thursday diplo-
matte reception to confer respecting Venezuela
The chairnaen Of the two committees of Con-
| gress which care for foreign affairs also called
| at the State Department to talk over the Nenez-
| uelan developments. Senator Cullom chairman
| of the Committee Foreign Relations ex-
pressed regret that England and Germany had
destroyed vessels Of the Venezuelan navy. They
| might better have been kept for toy houses, as
against a formidable seladron they were fit for
| little else" he remarked He believed that, If it
were considered necessary to seize the vessels,
they could have been kept intact until after the
! present trouble settled and then restored to
Venezuela. Senator Cullom expressed the opn-
| ion that the United States would not become
seriously involved in the present disturbance. as
/ he satisfied that neither Great Britain nor
/ Germany had any intention of acquiring Venez-
| uelap territory
The State Department is well pleased with the
| energetic yet discreet manner in which Minister
Bowen has acted.
No orders have been issued to any American
| naval vessels to proceed to Venezuelan ports,
| and 1t is not intended to issue such orders
less emergency should arise, the presence
| Of foreign men-of-war in such cases as this is
likely to cause useless friction. There is, of
| course always danger that the attempt of an
American vessel to pass the peaceful blockade
| may in the end call for the appearance of Amer
4 lean men-of-war the scene.
a joint resolution offered in the House