The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-07
The Ang,o-Gcrman Demonstration
Against Venezuela.

Against Venezuela.
10 seems to ha certain that President
CASTRO has failed 20 satisfy the German
and British creditors of Venezuela, and
that, consequently, n COercive demon
stration will be made forthwith hy Brit
ish and German warships nj La Guavra,
and, perhaps other sclports Ii is pos
sible that the demonstration may cause
President CASTRO to make an offer of
settlement that the creditors will be
willing to accept, though il is hard to
see how he can do this, provided a cash
payment in full is demanded II is
more probable that German and British
forces will occupy one or more of the
Venezuela custom houses, and retain
them until the receipts from customs
shall have betrayed the claims, together,
presumably, with the cost of their en-
forcemcnt. Let us consider the actual
and prospective results of this method
of collecting debts from an American
republic.
As the custom houses, and especially
that of La Gllayra, constitute the prin-
Cipal sources of revenue for the Caracas
Government, it is obvious that the loss
of them will render it extremely difficult
for President CASTRO 10 suppress rebel
lion. repel invasion and restore order.
1t IL. doubtless. on this ground that
President CASTRO has sought tho friendly
Offices of our Government, for the pur-
pose of inducing the creditors of VEN
ezuela to postpone coercivc action Our
State Department may have taken some
steps in this direction. but. evidently,
they have not proved effective, We
assume, although no public assurance
on this point has been given, that Secre-
tary HAY has convinced himself that the
debts which Germany and England pro-
pose to collect by force are Just debts.
If, on the face Of things, the validity and
amount If those debts were doubtful. he
would probably have suggested refer
ence to arbitration, rs Mr. CLEVELAND
did In the case of the disputed boundary
between British Guiana and Venezuela.
As no such suggestion il known to have
been made, his recognition of the Claims
as valid must be taken for granted, Tn
der the circumstances his position that
our Government would not oppose the
forcible collection of the German and
British claims may toe defended not only
by successive Interpretation of the Mon
roe Doctrine, including MIR RooSEvFlT's,
but also by presidents. When, in Decem-
Der, 1851, Spain, France and England
occupied Vera Cruz. for the purpose of
enforcing claims of their subj cCts Cainst
Mexico, we were, of course disa bled bv
our Civil War from intcrpOsing, but, "a
matter Of fact We did not even make n
formal protest Again, quite recently,
when Corinto was occupied by British
force, in order to compel the payment
OF debt by Nicaragua, Mr. CLEVELAND
did not feel called upon to demonstrate.
What we permitted England singly, to
do at Corinto, and England, France and
Spain, jointly, to do NJ Vera Cruz, we
cannot well object to England and Ger
many doing at Ia Guayra
There is no reason in the present in
stance to apprchcnd that Venezuelan
custom houses will be occupied and adj
mnistered by foreign powers for longer
time than will suffice for the liquidation
OF debts believed to amount in the ag-
gregate to less than s3OOOO,O0O. There
is no ground for apprehension on this
score, because-and, doubtless our State
Department IL to bc credited with this
fortunate feature of tho aiTair-the oc-
cupation will be undertaken bv Germany
and England jointly, instesi of by Ger
many alone. We have no longer any
cause to impute to Great Britain n desire
Of territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT at the cost
OF Venezuela, and her known wish to
maintain the most cordial relations with
the United States may be accepted as "A
guarantee that she will not attempt TO
hold, or countenance Germany in hold
Ing the Venezuelan custom houses after