The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1902-12-12
VENEZUELA MUST PAY
Can Not Be Allowed to Repudi-
ate Her National Debts.
Our GoVernment is Not ResponstbJe
for the Recent Civil Dis
order in Venezuela.

Ihe claims OF Germany against Vene-
zuela are estimated at about 50 600
uOU, ana are connected with the non
pay ment OF Venezuelan bonds issued a
NUMBER OF years ago to German capital
lists Tor the building of RAILWAYS. saws
the OregOnian. The claims of Great
Britain relate to damages claimed bv
certain subjects of Great Britain. whose
persons and property it Is asserted were
unlawfully seized by the Venezuelan
authorities in January, 1901. There is
justice in President Castro's plea thar
his government in emerging from an
expensive civil war is in no condition IN
meet the financial demands of Great
Britain and Germany, but at the same
time he will have to do something tn
satisfy the demands OF the British and
German claimants.
President Roosevelt in his message
plainly says that he has no sympathy
LOT republics that fail to keep internal
order and pay their debts. Our govern
ment Is prepared to see England and
Germany collect their bills by any
method that suits them short of siezin9
territory. Certain London newspapers.
with characteristic insular ignorance.
take the position that Great Britain
and Germany ought to hold the United
States responsible for debts due by Ven
ezuela to European creditors, or. as the
Daily News puts it, ''If the United States
IS to have the privileges Of the Monroe
doctrine, it should also assume it's du-
ties. The Monroe doctrine could not
possibly apply to the present situation
unless the collection Of debts is used as
a preteXt for the acquisition of territory.
The day after the Monroe doctrine was
uttered the powers of Europe were lust
as Tree as before that date to collect
deOts due their subjects by the threat
OF cOerclve measures, and if necessary
Dy the seizure and temporary occupancy
OF Venezuelan custom houses.
Germany and Great Britain are
among the powers signatory to the
treaty OF Berlin, which guarantees the
territorial life and integrity OF Turkey.
The question is fairly asked OF the Lon
don press whether the United States
could Justly hold these powers re-
sponsible for the collection OF the debts
which our government holds to be due
American citizens by the government OF
the sultan. The government of the
United States is responsible for the
territorial life AMI integrity of the South
American republics against Europe,
under the Monroe doctrine but it is no
more responsible for the acts and debts
OF those republics than Great Britain
was responsible for the massacre Of the
ArmeDlans or for Turkeys unpaid debts.
Inc Monroe doctrine simply afirns our
purpose to forbid any further European
acquisition of territory on the western
hemisphere, to protect it from European
expansion.
Our government is not responsible for
the recent civil disorder in Venezuela,
nor for it's debts. We do not interfere
with the internal affairs OF the republics
OF South America, or attempt to screen
them from the consequences OF their
failure to pay their public debts. We
simply say that there must be no exten-
sion OF European power on this conti-
nent. When Napoleon III violated the
Monroe doctrine by his invasion of
Mexico, in 1864, we ordered him out
and he Obeyed as soon as victory set
our armies free to enforce our will. We
cannot under the Monroe doctrine
interfere with Great Britain and Ger
many in their efforts to make Venezuela
pay her debts, but if Great Britain or
Germany attempted to appropriate the
territory Of Venezuela, we should
promptly interfere.