Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-12-22
TeLEoRAPhic NEWS.

mere loudS is quite Whrllkt bdllOuT
says that England will maintain her
| position at all hazards and insist that
| Venezuela must submit to the rules
of common honesty and pay her debts
If she does not do this England will
at once know the reason why and
force her claims. In doing this she
will have the cordial support of the
powers. England is ready for any
emergency. but believes that before
] the week ends Castro will submit and
| agree to the inevitable.
MADRID, Dec. 1S.-As sample of
| the violent expressions In the Span
ish press against the United States
the following from FL Pals, leading
journal Of this city. testifies
Just as the meanness and brutal
ty of England and Germany irritate.
so the cowardice and duplicity of the
| United States nauseates, for the Amer
lean government puts behind its back
at this juncture the Monroe doctrine.
which it has used again and again
when it had no warships. cannon or
militia and does much as the allies
command"
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 49,
King Oscar of Sweden is consider
ed the most likely person to arbitrate
the Venezuelan claims, provided Pres
ident Castro acts upon the sugges-
tions made to him by leading citizens
to seek peace.
The state department regards the
claims of the various countries as le-
gitimate but extortionate in amount.
1t is considered as not unlikely that
damage suits against wealthy con
Germs in this country will follow
WASHINGTON. d. c.. Dec. 1S.-
Minister Bowen has been entrusted
by President Castro of Venezuela with
the most honorable and onerous task
of settling the difficulty with Great
Bitain, Germany and Italy by arbitra-
tion. There are no limitations on
Mr Bowen's powers as arbitrator, so
far as Venezuela is concerned. He
will of course act through the United
States government until the final
steps shall be entered upon, but as 1t
is, he will have the heartiest cooper
alton of President Roosevelt and
Secretary of State Hay.
The receipt of advices from Minis
ter Bowen confirming the report that
Minister Castro desired to leave
everything to him, has caused gen
eral relief here. 1t was generally
agreed that the crisis had virtually
passed and that there would not be
a blockade amounting to declaration
nf W hv Eyan If thqr.n
should be war blockade. contin-
gency not now expected. there will be
no effort by this government to resist
as against merchant ships. Custom
requires that due notice shall be Civ
en- of the blockade. and that in con
nection with the declarations in the
British parliament, it is said, will be
sufficient to justify all neutral ma
tions in keeping their hands off.
WASHINGTON. d. c.. Dec. 1S.-|
There is considerable apprehension on
the part of several members of the
senate and house of representatives
lest the United States may become in
volved in the Venezuelan controver-
sy, and on the part of the diplomatic
representatives of the other Ameri
can republics that it will not. A
good many people suspect that Ger
many is after us and using Venezuela
as a pretext will carry on her attack
upon that country so far that the
United States will be compelled to
intervene. Three or four of the Lat
in-American republics have defaulted
on the interest on bonds held by En-
glish and German bankers and are de
Tending claims brought against them
by subjects of these two nations.
Hence they fear that precedent may
be established in the Venezuelan case
and that the United States will per-
NIT European powers to collect their
dues from delinquent debtors with
battleships and cruisers.
There is not the slightest ground
for fear in either direction. The Brit
ish and German fleets are at La Guai-
ra with the full consent of the govern
ment of the United States, and in his
message to congress year ago Presi-
dent Roosevelt stated very plainly
that the Monroe doctrine could not
be appealed to for the protection of
our southern neighbors from their
European creditors, nor could the
United States act as an auditor or col
lector OF international claims.
So long as Venezuelan territory is
not appropriated and Venezuelan soy
ereignty is not abridged our govern
ment will remain a silent spectator of
the proceedings. At the same time
we will use our good offices on all oc-
casions and in all disputes to prevent
bloodshed on American soil and pro-
mote the welfare of American nations.
The matter has been talked over
frequently between the ambassadors
of the European powers and the offi
cials of the department of state, and
although our government did not pro-
poss that England and Germany
would not go so far as they have gone.
no objection was made to their at
! tempts to collect their dues by force.
If either government should inter
fere with the commerce of the United
| States or interrupt communication by
refusing to permit American vessels
| to discharge and receive cargoes or
mails. or should prevent American
citizens from the transaction of their
legitimate business in Venezuela. 1t
would be the duty of the president to