Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-12-18

ment, that diplomatic defense of the
present claims is inadmissible. be-
cause an adequate road to a settle
ment is open by the decree of the
cath of January, 1901, since the pro
ceedings provided for by the decree
do not constitute a guaranty for q
just solution of those claims.
"As has been repeatedly said to the
Venezuelan government. firstly,
claims anterior to the 23rd of May,
1899, (which is the date of the rising
headed by the present president of
the ~republic) are excluded, while
Venezuela will naturally have to a n
swer for the acts in forming govern
ments. Secondly, all diplomatic inter,
vention against revolutions or by
commission we must exclude, appeal
to the federal high court being alone
permitted. In spite of this, however,
as has been seen, there were some
cases where judicial employees de-
pended on the Venezuelan govern.
ment, and when occasion has arisen
they have been deprived of their Of
fees without formality.
FINALLY, the payment of any claims
which a commission might allow was
to be affected with certificates of a
new debt of the revolution. to be
created for that purpose, which. from
what has been seen hitherto would
scarcely have value. In facs. the
procedure employed by the Venezue.
IAN government has not led to a sat
tsfactory solution of the claims. In
particular, the few German claims
which would be presented to the COM
mission have been, in part, unseemly
refused, in part reduced, evidently in
arbitrary manner, and ever the rec
ognized claims have not been ptid,
but the injured parties have been
asked to submit to a project of law
to be submitted to congress. After
the failure of several attempts to III
duce the government of the republic
to modify the decree in said points.
the imperial government has been
obliged itself to examine it's subjects
claims and Immediately present to
the Venezuelan government those
which were found justified. 1t is true
that afterward the Venezuelan gov.
eminent raised the possibility of Or
tanning a favorable solution by con
gress, but the law which was sane
toned by congress at the beginning
of the year only repeats the insGt-
ficient provisions of the decree of Hre
oath of January, 1901. Besides it o1:y
comprises claims which could not Ne
duly presented to a commission.
Afterwards the Venezuelan gov.
eminent conducted its correspond
ence in an almost offensive tone. and
finally published the notes referred
to, among which were some marked
CONFIDENTIAL without the consent of
the imperial government, accompany
ing them with n memorandum
couched in offensive terms.
"In spite of the sincerity of the de-
sire which animates the imperial gov
eminent to maintain existing good re-
lations with Venezuela, and, although
far from desiring not to respect the
sovereignty of the republic or to in
termeddle in its interior institutions,
it can only see in the proceedings en-
| ployed by the Venezuelan govern
ment an intention to deny to the
| German claims the settlement due
them in conformity with information
al law. 1t, therefore, believes itself
compelled to contribute in a definite
manner to their immediate satisfac-
ton.
"The imperial government has con-
J sequently instructed M to pray the
! Venezuelan government to satisfy,
without delay, the German credits
which, according to my note of the
31st of December last, amount to Il
71S,815 b%olivars, 67 confines. Further
more, the manner in which German
| claims consequent on the war have
been treated by the government of
the republic has led the imperial gov
eminent to think that other claims
of it's subjects against the republic
also stand in need of support.
"To arrive at a just conclusion,
therefore, German claims consequent
on the present civil war, and the
credits of German houses occasioned
by the construction Of the slaughter
house at Caracas, and the amount due
the great Venezuelan railroad for in.
testest and amortization scrip of the
five per cent. Venezuelan loaT
of 1896, which were delivered in re
demption of a guaranty of interest
must be considered in the same light
"By order of the imperial govern
ment I have to ask the Venezuelan
market to make a declaration imme
diately that it recognizes in principle
the correctness of these demands ,ant
is willing to accept the decision Of
a mixed commission with the object
of having them determined and as
sured in all their details. The i'm
perial government hopes the govern
ment of the republic will satisfy the
just demands Of Germany, and MOI
oblige the imperial government itseli
to enforce their satisfaction. At thu
same time the imperial government
thinks it should not omit to mention
that it has been informed by the Brit
ish government Of it's claims against
Venezuela. The two governments hav'
agreed to proceed, jointly, to obtair
satisfaction of all demands.
won PILGROM-BALTAZZI,
[Signed.l
German Charge d'Affaires."
The above documents have not beef
made public in Venezuela.