Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-12-29
ENEZUELA.

The United States battleship Iowa
and the gunboat Scorpion have ar
rived.
Protests against President Roose-
welt acting as arbitrator are received
from all parts of the United States.
The English cruiser interchangeable
captured ten miles from La Guayra
the Venezuelan schooner Jesusita from
Guanta with a cargo belonging to a
Spaniard.
London newspapers still accuse
Germany of plotting against England
and the United States; Kipling's poem
is likely to increase i'll feeling; best
informed officials believe the kaiser's
efforts to cooperate are sincere.
The belief is general that though the
blockade has gone into effect there
has been no interference with vessels
save those flying the Venezuelan flag.
The western blockade does not become
generally effective until Dec. "a.
The bitte-est opponents Of the
European fleet now at La Guayra are
the foreigners there and not the Vene-
zuelans. All the foreign consuls
agree that the notification Of the
blockade given by Germany and Great
Britain was not sufficient.
The Red line steamship Caracas,
which was detained upon advices from
the agent at La Guayra not to leave
until further instructions, has just re-
ceiVed orders 20 depart for La Guayra.
This shows that there will be no OBJ
lection by the allies to the entrance of
the steamship into that port
Gene al MatOs, the leader of the
Venezuelan revoIutionists, who was in
Curacao recently sought an interview
with the German Commodore Scheder
tC discuss Venezuelan affairs He was
referred to the British commodore,
MOntgOmerie as the senior officer. The
latter declined to meet him.
Signs still point to the ultimate ac-
ceptance by President Roosevelt of
the position of arbiter Of Venezuelan
claims. Still, it is going too far to
say that the president has consented
to take the trust. His emphatic judg-
ment is that it would be better for all
nations concerned if the question
should be adjudicated before The
Hague tribunal.
The true story Of the sinking Of the
Venezuelan vessels by the German
cruiser Panther as learned from Of
fetal sources. is that the commander
Of the cruiser had to chose between
sinking the vessels or permitting them
to go free after Selling them, when he
was called to land marines to aid Con-
sui Lenz, who had signaled that the
consulate was being attacked.
The blockade is proving prejudicial
to American t.ade. Fifteen importing
houses in Caracas have stopped plac-
ing orders in the United States. Boul-
ton & 60. are the only importers Of
American -four who have declined to
increase the price of this article The
people benefit by this firms action.
It is estimated that the food supply in
Caracas will not last much more than
a fortnight
The president and Secretary Hay
had a long conference. So far as
can be learned no specific reasons
have been advanced by the European
powers for Objecting to a reference Of
the Venezuelan questions to. the arbi-
tratiOn of The Hague tribunal. 1t is
held by the administration that the
tribunal at lie Hague was constituted
to arbitrate just such controversies as
that which has arisen beween Vene-
zuela and the powers.
The German cruiser which has been
anchored for two days at the entrance
of Lake Maracaibo captured the Ven
ezuelan schooner Victoria. After
cutting down her mainmast, thus dis