The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1902-12-26
IS STILL UNDECIDED.
Not Known How the Venezuelan
Trouble Will Be Settled.
The Acceptance BY the Powers of the
Principle of Arbitration Is Mat
ter of Great Qualification to
the Administration.

Washington, Dec. %. - President
Roosevelt has not accepted the posi-
ton of arbitrator of the Venezuelan
controversy. In fact, when the official
day closed he had not received, form
ally or officially, request from the
European powers that he act as arbi-
traitor of the dispute. The statements,
are made on the highest authority.
In an informal manner the president
has been notified that the European
powers intimately concerned in the
present South American difficulty de-
sire that he should undertake the re-
sponsibi1ity of acting as arbitrator Of
the points at issue between them and
venezuela. Thus far they merely have
been taking "sOundings" with a view,
probably, of ascertaining how he
would receive a formal proffer to act
as arbitrator The president, as soon
as he received the first intimation that
he was desired to be the arbitrator of
the Venezuelan controversy, expressed
emphatically his Judgment that the
matters to be arbitrated should be re-
ferred to The Hague tribunal His
view of the suggestions made has been
conveyed to the European powers, to-
gether with a strong presentation of
his reasons for the view he holds. No
response of a formal nature to these
representations has been received.
So far as can be learned, no spe-
.cific reasons have been advanced by
the European powers for objecting to
a reference Of the Venezuelan ques-
tons to the arbitration of The Hague
tribunal 1t IS held by the admins
Iration that the tribunal at The Hague
was constituted to arbitrate just such
controversies as that which has arisen
between Venezuela and the powers
and that it would be desirable from
every view point that the present dis
pute should go to that tribunal for ad-
justments. How strong the objection
which Great Britain, Germany and
Italy have to a reference to Venezue-
len difficulty 10 The Hague tribunal is
not known to the administration at
this time. Even the nature of the
objections, if there be any, is not
known. The negotiations looking to
the selection OF an arbitrator have not
progressed sufficiently yet to develop
such objections as the powers may
have.
The acceptance by the powers Of the
principle of arbitration as applied to
the Venezuelan question is a matter
of great qualification to the president
and his cabinet. That all the powers
have intimated too that they would
prefer the president should arbitrate
the present dispute is taken as a nota-
bic compliment to the president per-
sOnally anu to his administration. 1t
is the hope of both the president and
his advisors, however, that while there
is precedent for his acceptance of the
post Of arbitrator the powers will con-
sent to a reference of the controverted
matters in the Venezuelan question TO
the tribunal at The Hague,
While it is recognized by the presi-
dents closest advisors and by the
president himself that some unpleas-
ant possibilities might attend his per-
Torrance of the duties of arbitrator Of
the pending Venezuelan difficulty his
friends assert that he will shirk no
responsibility that he may deem it his
duty to undertake but will accept if
the powers should insist on it, though
he is very reluctant to do so.
DEWEYs SQUADRON.