The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-12-17
The ycueTuelau Situation.

That the necessity should arise ss
European powers - zsARe asst1-s
hemonstrA;aoa AcaIass q sovereign ssiss
on this hemisphere ~ = wAas4 7H,ii.,
icAi tests1ses TIRE TAtte1 SzI.fs Ids u
the prazag.ac ga tsaa ~ tase " a.1-Vss aae>
trine assumed IL have cec,A-z sxsr>
sight. IS matter - % ss24kE eolscSr@
10 this nation. Il has Ase1 rVqeases-y
declared by this sovernEseas sA4s :; Ia
not propose 10 shelter under tie Aoo-
roe doctrine South American and Ceo-
trail American nations fsam the just
effects OF their own misdeeds or fall
nres to fulfill international obligations
This was reaffirmed by President
Roosevelt in his late message in these
words: at behooyes each one TO main
tain order within its own borders and
to discharge Its just obligations to for
eigners" Still the situation in Yenezu-
ella, where Great Britain and Germany
seek by combined force of arms to col
lect apparently just debts. is one to
excite apprehension and call for the ex-
Inhibition of wise craftsmanship and d.
Iplomacy on the part OF our state de-
partment.
The English and German claims are
based partly on the destruction of prop
erty belonging to citizens of Germany
and Great Britain and partly on the
failure of Venezuela to make proper
provision for the payment of its nation
al debts
Tho liabilities of Venezuela, incurred
under the influence OF President Cas-
tro are stated by the London Mail
with greater specification than we have
seen elsewhere. The chief battle
horse" seems to be loan of $4,000
600 negotiated In 1896 and bearing In
tercst at per cent. This Is apparent
ly strictly public and government OBJ
ligation, with no question about guar
antee" Two-thirds of this loan is due
to Germans, the rest to Britons and
Frenchmen. The interest is four yenrs
in arrears. Then there Is German
railway built at cost Of $l5,000,OO0.
or ut least that is what the Germans
charged and the Venezuelans agreed
to pay, OF which the London Times
says that the railway built with 1t has
received much the same treatment
with the English ones"
Apparently the only way In which
the Germans and Britons thought that
they could collect these claims was
the seizure and retention of the Gus
toms receipts Of the port OF La Quay
ra, which President Castro resisted
with such force as was within his pow
er AS the customs receipts of La
Guayra for the last six months have
averaged only about 100000 boliynrs,
worth 20 cents each of our money, 1t
will take the creditors n rather long
time to recover the full amount OF
their claim. 1t is even doubtful wheth-
er the current receipts of the collector
of La Guayra. even should he, contra.
ry TO his instincts and traditions. hon
estly turn them all In. would meet the
current expenses of the wnrships sent
to collect them.
While the landing OF marines by II
European power on the territory OF
an American state and the seizure of
customs for legitimate debt are per
haps not In violation OF the Monroe doe
trlnc, clearly the United States can
not, II it maintains Its traditions. per
init n European power or powers TO
go much further than that. Doubtless
there is an understanding Mt Washing
ton as TO how far the Europeans can go
In their debt collecting process, SO there
Is perhaps no cause to get excited over
u prospect OF serious complications