Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-21
Feels That He Would Thus Become Judge,
Counsel and Constable.
UNITED STATES ALSO HAS CLAIMS
Mediator Might Thus Have to Adjudicate
on Own oOuntry's Case.
BLOCKADE is DEFINITELY ANNOUNCED
London and Berlin Both Issue Proc
lRmhtions Declaring Ports Closed
to Navigation Pending Settle
ment of Present Troubles.

WASHINGTON Dec. 20.-President
Roosevelt has proposed to the allied powers
| that the Venezuelan dispute be submitted
to the arbitration of The Hague tribunal,
and they have replied with counter pro-
| posal that President Roosevelt, himself.
arbitrate the issue.
! President Roosevelt does not wish to ac-
cept the offer, however, feeling that he
would thus become at once Judge jury and
| constable and would be under the moral
| obligation to execute his own Judgment
and still, rather than see the dispute pro-
| ceed to extremes, IL is probable he will
| reluctantly consent
1t is believed that any decision he might
! render would be sure to bring upon him
! the enmlty OF one or other of the parties
to the controversy, but to prevent blood.
! shed, destruction OF property and nterfer-
ence with great commercial interests. II Is
believed he will rest this providing his
suggestion anent The Hague court is re-
! fused
Bowen VIII Sign Protocol.
II an agreement is reached Mr. Bowen,
| representing Venezuela as a plenipoten-
! tiary, would sign, with the representatives
| Of the allies, protocol stating that the
| case is to be submitted to arbitration; that
|
Intervention on behalf OF a claimant, a
principal It has always resisted, and that
! the details OF the arbitration shall be ar
ranged in a formal treaty which Il pledges
! itself to sign. This treaty will provide IN
! the greatest details for the security OF for
| eign interests against vexatous and ex-
! tortionate interference on the part OF the
| Venezuelan government hereafter and will
insure the administration OF exact Justice
in the settlement OF claims and specifically
relieve foreign residents OF Venezuela from
| forced loans and persecution during revo-
lutions
It is believed to be a safe prediction
that Mr. Roosevelt will renew his sugges-
tion that the case be submitte1 to The
! Hague tribunal, adding to the arguments
he has already edduced that the United
| States, having claims OF It's own to the
! amount OF about s10O, 0oe Is party In inter-
| est, and II would be unfair to put him in
the position OF arbitrating his own claim.
The powers. on the other hand. claim
that President Castro would feel lightly
bound by any decision rendered from The
Hague, but would be certain to heed a
judgment delivered by President Roose-
Welt 1t is said at the State department
that no matter how these two proposi-
tions are disposed of there will be no
backward STEP and that an agreement OF
some kind which will bring about a peace
able settlement OF the Venezuelan trouble
will result from the present negotiations.
or course If President Roosevelt should
accept the charge it is understood that
the actual burden OF arbitrating the
claims would not be undertaken by him
personally, but probably would, as is Gus
tomary in such cases, confded to one OF
the trained secretaries of the department.
Blockade is Proclaimed.
LONDON, Dec. 2O.--The offcial proclams-
tion OF the blockade of Venezuela ports was
gazetted this morning and becomes effective
today.
The text of the proclamation is as follows:
FOREIGN OFFICE. Dec. 2O.--It is hereby
notified that as the United States OF Ven
mands of his maiestys government, a
blockade by his matesty's naval forces OF
Cumana and Carlpann and the mouths Of
the Orinoco is declared and such blockade
will be effectively maintained from and
allowance of following days OF grace:
For vessels sailrg before the date OF this
ports or the east coast Of the continent OF
America, ten days for steamers and twenty
davs for sailing vessels.
From all other ports, twenty days for
steamers and forty days for sailing vessels
For vessels lying in the ports now de-
|
Vessels which attempt TO run the block
ade will render themselves liable to all
measures authorized by the law of ma ations
and by the respective treaties between his
majesty and the different neutral powers.
The Foreign once says the blockade OF
the Venezuelan coast will not be relaxed
until the powers enforcing their claims
agree on a method for the arbitration OF
their respective cases and Venezuela shows
a disposition TO act sincerely.
the diversity OF the claims in deciding on
a method OF presentation and on the nego-
tiations which will be involved before a
settlement is in sight
It is not definitely decided whether sep
arate cases can be embodied in one docu-
ment should the projected arbitration take
definite shape.
It seems that the proposal to submit Ia
President Roosevelts arbitration ema-
! mated from the German government. The
Foreign ONCE here says It has the strong
/ est reasons for believing that he will de-
, cline to act as arbitrator.
Allies Control OrinOcO.
Copyright, 1902. by Press Publishing Coz
CARACAS, Dec. 2O-CNew York World
. Cablegram-special Telegram THE .ori-
, noco river continues in the possession oi
; the combined European fleets. Two French
% gunboats reached La Guayra today. but one
OF these. Tronde. left later for Willem-
r stad, Curacao.
: notification that the blockade OF We
! nezuelan ports by the allied powers would
be made effective today was transmitted "a
3 the Venezuelan government this morning
% by the British consul at La Guayra, and
q the rate of exchange Immediately Jumped
FIVE points.
= The people here are stlll ignorant OF tho
i answer to the offer OF arbitration, and the
government, which is in possession OF the
reply, is puzzled by the wording, and, more
' over. cannot understand why, II Germany
r and Great Britain have accepted, IN,
blockade should be made effective the sam,
d day that their acceptance is announced.
Madame Won Pilgrim Baltazzi left for Ii
= Guayra today to rejoin her husband. She