Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-19
GERMANY BACKING BELGIUM
In Latter's Venezuelan Claims
Apathy Among Kaiser's Subjects.


LONDON. December 19.-The Brussels
correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says
in dispatch that Germany is supporting
the claims of Belgium against Venezuela,
which amount to 81, 100000.
dispatch from La Guaira yesterday
says: The German cruiser Fake, which
has been anchored for the past two days at
the entrance of Lake Maracaibo. today cap
tured the Venezuelan schooner Victoria.
After cutting down her mainmast, thus dis
abling her, the Germans Abandoned the ves-
sci. This action has caused great indigna-
ton among the venezuelans, and excite
ment runs high at Maracaibo, where the
people have been parading the streets ut
tering cries against Great Britain and Ger
many.
Herr Won Pilgrim BaItazzi. the German
envoy to Venezuela. landed here today, per-
mission for him to do so having been grant
ed by the authorities. He spoke by tele-
phone to his wife. who is very Ill at Ca
racas. Later the German envoy accom-
panied the project of La Guaira, Senior Lei
cibabaza. to the latter's Office, where he re-
manned for a short time.
British cruiser has obtained permission
to purchase fresh provisions on shore here
The British cruiser Tribune arrived here
this morning. The British cruiser Indefa-
tigable left here at noon today, steamfng in
the direction Of Trinidad.
A Berlin dispatch yesterday says: A fact
which impresses the foreign observer here
is the quiet Indifference of the newspapers
and people toward the Venezuelan AFFAIR.
Not Berlin paper has leading article on
the subject today, and the news published
Is largely an abstract of what the London
and New York papers are saying. The
Germans appear to be aStoniShed at the
commotion in Great Britain and the United
States over what is regarded here as a
mere episode. Few of the German news
papers have correspondents in New York,
but those who are there telegraph that
Germany is seemingly without one friend in
the country, and trace the cause to Ger
many's alleged attitude toward the United
States during the Spanish-American war
The popular feeling in Great Britain against
cooperation with Germany Is attributed
here to the German peoples bearing to-
ward Great Britain during the South Afri-
can war. But If public opinion has little
concern as yet over Venezuela, the foreign
Office here is extremely sensitive over the
developments of public feeling abroad, es-
pecialIy in the United States
The reason for delay in doing anything
that would change the situation either by
replying to VeneZuela's proposition made
through Minister Bowen, issuing blockade
regulations or taking any forward step is
because it is thought better to remain pas
sive for few days and see how far public
feeling in America will go. Indications are
not wanting that the German government
Is seeking an expedient to arrive at solu-
ton OF the ullcuity WITHOUT any tnHs iur-
Their happening to vex the people of the
United States. whose good will is considered
to be more important than the humiliation
Of Venezuela. Still, Germany must have
her claims satisfied, and the hopes of the
hour among the emperor's advisers are that
President Castro will yield voluntarily in a
few days if not pushed any further; that
the commercial classes in Venezuela viii
compel a settlement; or that the United
States will offer to guarantee that Venez-
uela will pay up if she loses by arbitration.
The German commander in Venezuelan
waters has been instructed to use extreme
caution and avoid acts of force till he re-
ceives further orders.