The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-16
HOUSE IF COMMONS
 IN SPICY DEBATE
Several Warm Speeches on the
 Venezuelan Question
PAPERS ONLY A SUMMARY
England Can Do Nothing With Her Claims Unless Germans Are Per fectly Satisfied With the Set
 tIement of Their Claims.

London. December 15.-The house was crowded this afternoon when the Ven- ezuelan matter came up for debate. Mir schwann. after having expressed surprise that the government was anxious for another war after South Africa, com plained of the paucity of tho information concerning the Venezuelan situation which has been given to parliament. He said he hoped arbitration would be ac- cepted, because. although President Roosevelt is anxious to act correctly, the situation is full of danger and the Pres idents hand might be forced by politi- clans. E4
 Lord Cranborne spoke after Mir. schwann He explained that the papers in the Venezuelan matter issued today were only a summary. He said that Great Britain had to perform police duty among the nations and had to prevent venezuela from breaking the law of na- tions. The United States took the sensi- ble view that Great Britain's insistence that Venezuela should meet her engage ments was not an infraction of the Mon roe doctrine. ''No country has been more anxious than Great Britain said Lord Cranborne. "to assist the American gov ernment in maintaining that doctrine"
 This remark was greeted with cheers. Continuing, the under foreign secretary said 1t was only after Venezuela had been thrice summoned to do right, that the British government had been driven to strong measures to secure the safety, liberty and property of British subjects in Venezuela, and that in the execution of these measures the government desired to pursue the same course of modera- ton.
 Blockade Will Be Carried Out.
 Lord Cranborne said also that the blockade would be carried out with ev- cry regard for the interests of neutrals.
 The liberal leader, Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman, then voiced his strong dis satisfaction with Lard Cranborne's speech. He complained of the lack of in- formation about the German and British claims, which, he said seemed to be on different footing. The speaker said in this matter Great Britain seemed to be bound hand and foot to Germany.
 'We could do nothing with regard to our claims continued the liberal leader, "unless the Germans are perfectly sat isfied with the settlement of their claims. Such an agreement Is contrary to the country's best interests. The noble lord has said nothing about an important communication received from the~United States; there would be universal satis- faction if this communication Twas of such nature as to lead to peaceful solution of what after all seems to be a somewhat squalid difficulty"
 Premier Balfour then spoke. He accused the mover and the seconder of the motion to adjourn of a desire to discredit the government, and said this was not the way to approach a painful international episode. The premier declared there was no justification for the assumption that the government was prepared to go to war for the Venezuelan bondholders. The crux of the matter was a series of out rages by Venezue1ans of British seamen and ship owners, for which not only had compensation been refused, but Great Britains remonstrances had been entirely disregarded. It was an intolerable situa- tion, and the premier denied that the government had been unduly nasty.
 Agrees to a Tribunal.
 MT. Balfour declared that insofar as the financial claims were concerned, the gov ernment was prepared to agree to a tri- bunal to assess them equitably, He added also that the United States government had not suggested arbitration. Anglo German interests in Venezuela had been entrusted to the American minister at Caracas. MT. Bowen, who, with admira- ble energy, had protected the lives of British and German subjects. The prez mier said he understood that it was from Venezuela, through the United States that the suggestion for arbitration had come.
 Sir William Vernon Harcourt and other members of the house then criticized the government for its action and pressed for additional information. Timothy Healy, nationalist, warned the government that it was in perilous position, owing to the state of political feeling in the United States.
 Premier Balfour said Italy was send ing warships to Venezuelan waters, but there was no agreement between Italy and Great Britain as there was between Great Britain and Germany.
 Referring to the Anglo-German fleets on the Venezuelan coast, the premier said there was no question of seniority as the two fleets were acting along different parts of the coast and independently of each other.
 NT. Schwann's motion was rejected without a division.