Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-18
OBSTACLE TO ARBITRATION.


II is highly probable that Great
Britain, and perhaps Germany also,
would agree TO submit their claims
against Venezuela to arbitration IL they
were given a satisfactory guaranty that
the Venezuelan government would pay
the award Of the arbitrators. It is re-
ported from London hat the British
Foreign office has made inquiry as to
whether this country would be willing
to guarantee the fulhllment Of Venez-
uela's pledges and that a negative re-
ply was made. OF course the United
States would not assume such \ respon-
sibility. 1t would establish a precedent
that might compel us in the future to
guarantee the pledges Of other South
American countries which are indebted
to Europeans. There are few of those
countries that are not more or less in
debt to foreigners and the aggregate of
these obligations is very large. If the
United States should guarantee the
pledges of those countries in regard to
their debts it would place itself in a
position certain to become most trouble
some, burdensome and dangerous.
Therefore such a thing as this country
becoming in any degree responsible
for the carrying out of the pledges Of
Venezuela is not to be seriously thought
Of, yet those who urge that our gov
eminent should propose arbitration and
insist upon 1t ought to understand that
II II were to tax this course the Eu-
sonably demand that it give a guaranty
for the fulhllment of the pledges of
Venezuela. They are fully justified in
having no confidence in the Castro gov
eminent. The whole career of the presi-
dent Of Venezuela, who exercises the
powers Of a dictator, has been such as
to warrant distrust of him. He has
been faithless to nearly every pledge
he ever made, particularly to foreigners,
and Americans as well as Europeans
have suffered from his violation Of obll-
cations. There can be no confidence In
the promises or the agreements of such
a person and the European governments
will be justified in rejecting arbitration
If there is nothing more than the word
of the Castro government to rely upon.
AS the United States will not become
In any sense or degree responsible for
the pledges of Venezuela, it is perfectly
obvious that 1t cannot reasonably In
sist that the European governments
shall submit their claims, understood
to be recognized by our government as
valid, to arbitration. II there was doubt
in regard to the justice of these claims,
If there was ground for believing that
the European governments are seeking
to get from Venezuela what they have
no right to, the case would be different.
Then the United States might with pro-
priety interpose and urge arbitration.
But there is nothing of the kind. The
claims are undoubtedly valid and while
it is impossible for the Venezuelan gov
eminent tn pay them now, 1t should
have acknowledged them and made sat
isfactory provision for their future set
Element. Had his honest course been
pursued there would be no trouble. The
obstacle to arbitration is want of conf
dence in the Castro government and
this is fully justified by the record of
that government. This obstacle the
United States cannot undertake to re.
move by assuming any responsibility
in the matter.