Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-12-20
POWERS WILL DEAL
SOLELY WITH u. S,
Concerning Que stion of Ven
ezuelan Arbitration.
HAY RECEIVES RESPONSES
Great Britain Favorable to Arbitration
With Proper Safeguards; Germany
Accepts Also, but Has Multitude Of
Small Adjustments To Be Made.

Accepts Also, but Has Multitude OF
Small Adjustments To Be Made.
Washington, Dee. 19.-Secretary
Hay mas received partial responses
from the governments of Great Brit
ain, Germany and Italy respecting the
proposal to arbitrate the Venezuelan
difficulties.
Great Britain is favorable to arbi.
tration with proper safeguards; Ger
many accepts arbitration in principle,
but finds multitude of small adjust
ments to be made before entering into
the agreement; Italy as the junior
partner of the allies declares that she
is favorable to arbitration, but will be
bound probably by the action of the
| senior partners.
The note to Reuters Telegram com.
pany announcing that Great Britain
had sent reply to the United States
is as follows:
THE statements issuing from Ca,
racas to the effect that President Cas-
tro has empowered Minister Bowen
to act as the representative of Vene-
Zuela are regarded in London as open
to question. Any such action ON the
part of President Castro would be con.
Bidered wholly beside the mark. The
powers concerned will deal solely with
| the United States in the matter of ar.
bitratiOn. The government of Vene.
nriM bn In
form, not even as to the terms on
which arbitration migh. be acceptable
to the powers
To secure these results the Ameri.
can ambassadors at London, Berlin
and Rome have been working energet-
ically to carry out the instructions of
Secretary Hay to ascertain how the
proposal would be received. AS far
as England is concerned, the safe
| guards referred to are believed to re.
late to the question of guarantee,
which is full of difficulties. In this
connection as indicated in these dis
patches yesterday, some consideration
is ag airr-gtven to the feasibility of as.
sumption of responsibility for any
! award assessed against Venezuela by
responsible private agencies. but the
United States government is determin-
ed not to allow itself to be drawn into
the position of a guarantor in this
case for the precedent once establish
ed might require the United States to
become the financial backer of all
South and Central America. However,
If private concerns can be induced to
enter the field, the United States will
do what it can to reduce thier risks.
Secretary Hay Sir Michael Herbert,
the British ambassador and Senator
Depew were in conference today. and
1t is suspected that this phase of the
case was touched upon, although no
confirmation can be had at this time.
The German position presents the
greatest differences, for not only does
1t involve a demand for apologies
which are extremely repugnant to Ven.
ezuela, but also presents SO many
points requiring adjustment that it is
evident that many days or perhaps
weeks must efapse before the adjust
! ment can be effected and the case pre-.
pared for arbitration. And the dan
ger of delay in the face of a block.
| ade, which seriously cripples neutral
commerce and invites hostile COLI.
sions with the Venezuelans. cannot be
overestimated. The efforts of the
United States, therefore, must be di.
rected toward fastening Germanys ac.
tion on the arbitration proposal. The
Italian position is, of course. of less
| concern than that Of the other allies
The Italian ambassador here in his in.
tercourse with the state department
has been extremely moderate and cor.
siderate, giving Secretary Hay the i'm.
preston that he is well disposed tc
second any effort Of the United States
to terminate the present dangerous sit.
| uatiCn.
The French government has served
notice that without a5ating her claims
the payment for which has been ar
ranged, she also claims the right to
have the claims of French citizens
which have arisen since the adjust
ment above spoken Of, considered By
the joint tribunal which will adjust
the Venezuelan debts upon a basis
Of equality with those Of ether nations
This contention is strongly resisted
by e5n,c Of the allied uowers and isl
one or the POINTS which is likely tc
lead To the consumption of much time
and which must be disposed of before
a final arrangement can be made tc
arbiuate the case.