The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-12
HARSH METHODS IN VENEZUELA.


Germany and Great Britain are
adopting unnecessarily harsh measures
for the collection OF their claims
against Venezuela. AS far as we are
able to judge of the situation there
was no good reason why the vessels
of the Venezuelan navy that were cap
tured by the Germans and British
without firing a shot should have been
towed to sea and sunk. The ships
could easily have been held until the
imbroglio was settled, and then turned
back to the Venezuelan government.
There was no reason to apprehend
danger from them It looks as if the
destruction Of the ships was simply a
wanton exhibition Of power. The Ger
mans and British seem to act as if
they felt they could do pretty much
as they pleased, and, as far as Vene-
zuela is concerned, there is no doubt
they can. but it is not creditable to
great nations to deal with a weak one
as if they not only had no respect for
it, but as if they took pleasure in in
fiicting injury upon it.
1t is true, of course. that Venezuela
owes German and British citizens a
large amount of money-any where
from s25, 100000 to $50, 900, 900. It has
been only about six years since she
borrowed $4,000. 900 in Europe on bonds
bearing interest at the rate of ; per
cent, and she has not paid the inter-
est for four years, and she guaranteed
the bonds of one of her railroads to
the amount of $4,000, 900. and the in
terest on these bonds is unpaid-the
bonds being held largely by German
and British citizens, but the people
who purchased these bonds knew the
risk they ran when they purchased
them. And they did not pay par for
the government bonds or the railroad
bonds. 1t may be that they did not
pay more than so cents on the dollar
for the railroad bonds. 1t was a spec
ulation they went into when they put
their money into Venezuelan securi-
ties, and now they want their respect
i've governments to collect their money
for them, principal and interest. and
their governments are trying to do it.
The outlook for getting the money is
not very promising. 1t is estimated that
the custom house receipts will not nav
the current expenses of the German
and British squadrons on the Vene-
zuelan coast, much less the interest
and principal of the guaranteed bonds,
held by German and British subjects.
How, then, is the money which Ger
many and Great Britain demands 60
ing to be paid? That is an interesting
question, and one to which there does
not seem to be an answer.
Do Germany and Great Britain con-
template taking territory If they can
not get cash? They will not be per-
mitted to do that 1t would be con-
trary to the Monroe Doctrine for them
to take territory. and there is nothing
more certain than this country will up-
hold that doctrine.
Our government will be fortunate If
1t does not become involved in the
imbroglio. There has been a feeling
of apprehension in Washington, ever
since the German and British squad
rons appeared on the coast of Vene-
zuela, that unless the greatest care
We're exercised our country would be
drawn into the affair. 1t would not
be surprising if the useless destruc-
ton of the Venezuelan navy should
excite the sympathies of the Ameri-
can people for the Venezuelans,
though, as a matter of fact, they are
entitled to little, if any, sympathy.