Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
CRANBORNE EXPLAINS
Liberal Party Leaders Ask
About Venezuela.
DEBATE NOT ALLOWED
MINISTER ACKNOWLEDGES THE
SITUATION rs GRAVE.
Noncommittal on Question Of Arbitra-
hon-He Endorses tho Mon
roe Doctrine, However.
DEBATE NOT ALLOWED

A dispatch from London last night says:
The house Of commons was crowded this
evening when the Venezuelan matter came
up for debate. Henry White, the American
charge d'affaires, had a seat in the diplo-
| matte gallery.
Mr.. Schwann, advanced liberal. who had
moved an adjournment to discuss Venezue-
Ian affairs. after having expressed surprise
that the government was anxious for an
| other war after South Africa, complained
of the paucity of the information concern
ing the Venezuelan situation which had
been given to parliament. He said he hoped
| arbitration would be accepted. because, al
| though President Roosevelt is anxious to
act correctly, the situation is full Of danger.
and the Presidents hands might be forced
| by politicians.
Lord Cranborne spoke after Mr.. Schwann.
He reproached this member with a desire
to discredit the government, and explained
| that the papers in the Venezuelan matter
were very voluminous, and that those IS
sued today were only summary. He said
that Great Britain had to perform police
duty among the nations, and had to pre-
vent Venezuela from breaking the law OF
nations. The United States took the sensi-
BILE view that Great Britains insistence that
Venezuela should meet her engagements
was no infraction of the Monroe doctrine.
England Favors Monroe Doctrine.
mo country has been more anxious than
Great Britain" said Lord Cranborne. ito
assist the American government In main
tanning that doctrine"
This remark was greeted with cheers.
Continuing. the under foreign secretary
said the British government has displayed
great forebearance. and that It was only
after Venezuela had been thrice summoned
to do right that the government had been
driven to strong measures to secure the
safety, liberty and property Of British sub
jects in Venezuela, and that in the execu-
ton of these measures the government de-
sired to pursue the same course Of modera-
ton.
Lord Cranborne said also that the block
ade would be carried out with every regard
for the interests of neutrals.
The liberal leader Sir Henry Campbell
Zimmerman, then voiced his strong salts
faction with Lord Cranbornes speech. He
complained Of the lack of Information about
the German and British claims, which he
said seemed to be on a different footing.
The speaker said he was an advocate Of
the best possible feeling between the two
countries, but that in this matter Great
Britain seemed to be bound hand and foot
to Germany.
Germany Must First Be P1acated.
I'VE could do nothing with regard to our
claims" continued the liberal leader, unless
the Germans are perfectly satisfied with the
settlement Of their claims. Such an agree
ment is contrary to the country's best in
terests. The noble lord has said nothing
about an important communication re-
ceived from the United States; there would
be universal satisfaction II this communica-
ton was Of such a nature as to lead to a
peaceful solution of what, after all, seems
to be somewhat squalid difficulty
Premier Balfour then spoke. He accused
the mover and the seconder Of the motion
to adjourn Of q desire to discredit the gov
eminent, and said this was not the way to
approach painful International episode.
The premier declared there was no juStifica-
ton for the assumption that the govern
ment was prepared to go to war for the
Venezuelan bondholders. The crux of the
matter was a series of outrages by Vene
Zue1anS on British Seamen and ship owners,
for which not only had compensation been
refused but Great Britain's remonstrances
had been entirely disregarded. It was an
intolerable situation. and the premier denied
that the government had been unduly hasty.
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman appeared to
desire to cooperate with Germany on his
own peculiar terms, but few allies would be
prepared to act on such a basis
Origin Of Arbitration Proposal.
Mr.. Balfour declared that in so far as the
financial claims were concerned, the gov
eminent was prepared to agree to tri-
bunal to assess them equitably. He added
also that the United States government
had not suggested arbitration. Anglo-Ger-
man interests in Venezuela had been in
trusted to the American minister at Cara
cas-, Mr.. Bowen, who, with admirable en-
ergy, had protected the lives Of British and
German subjects. The premier said he I'M
derstood that 1t was from Venezuela, through
the United States, that the suggestion for
arbitration had come. On that point he
would only say it was unfortunate that
Venezuela should not have thought Of the
advantages Of arbitration during the long
period covered by these controversies, but
that on the contrary she should have re-
fused all explanation and apology until
actually engaged In hostilities; then this
idea of. arbitration suddenly commended
itself to the minds Of the Venezuelans. The
premier said he would say nothing for or
against this idea, and repeated that It had
United States.
Criticised the Government
Sir William Vernon Harcourt and other
members of the house then criticised the
government for it's action and pressed for
additional information. Timothy M. Healy
(nationalis) declared that the Irish vote in
America had driven the British government
into humiliating alliance with Germany
and warned the government that 1t was In
a perilous position, owing to the state of
political feeling in the United States.
Replying to questions Premier Balfour
said Italy was sending warships to Vene-
zuelan waters, but that there was no agree
ment between Italy and Breat Britain, as
there was between Great Britain and Ger
many. Referring to the AngIo-German
fleets on the Venezuelan coast, the premier
said there no question Of seniority as
the two fleets were acting along differ ent
parts Of the coast and independently of
each other.
Mr.. Schwann's motion was rejected with
out division.