Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-17
The Senate Holds an Executive
Session to Discuss Vene-
zuelan Situation
MONROE DOCTRINE UPHELD
General Sentiment Among the Con-
aressmen and Senators Favors Keen
Watchfulness on the Part of the
United sta.es-senator cuIIom Es-
plains the Situation.

Washington, Dec. 1.-THE Venezue-
Ian question occupied the attention OF
the senate in executive session yester-
day for almost an hour. The question
came informally. Senator Teller, dis
claiming all Intention of being critical
and saying he merely desired Informal
ton, asked Senator Cullom, chairman OF
the committee on foreign relations
what information he possessed as to
the Venezuelan affair.
Mr.. Teller in inquiring said that the
situation is such that senators felt that
the Monroe doctrine at any time might
become involved If the complication
should continue.
Senator Cullom replied to the inquiry
that he had no knowledge of recent
events not contained in the house and
prints.
Messrs. Bacon, Hoar, Lodge and
Stewart all made remarks.
The tone of all the speeches, whether
by republicans or democrats, were that
our position as q nation should be one of
q watchfulness. There was a general
agreement that while the means adopt
ed by Great Britain and Germany for
the collection of their debts had beeN
quite strenuous, they thus far had corn
united no infringement OF the Monroe
doctrine, and therefore had done moth
ing to which the United States could
take exception.
This was the position of Senator Gull
-lom. as it was of other senators who
spoke Mr.. Cullom said that much
light as to the attitude of the admins
tration could be obtained by consulting
the correspondence between the state
department and the German ambassa-
dor year ago. He then called atten-
ton to the fact that on Dec. 1, 1901. the
representative of Emperor William had
brought the matter of Venezuela's debts
and her apparent indifference to them
to the attention of the secretary of
state. The German ambassador in his
letter gave the department complete
information from the German stand
point of the position of his go eminent.
He said that for seven years Venezue-
la had failed to pay interest on her
debts to German concerns, specifying
these, and adding that every known
peaceable means had been tried to Sc
cure the money, and that his govern
ment, feeling that patience had ceased
to be virtue, had decided to use coer-
Give means. 1t was desired, however, he
said, that 1t should be explicitly under
stood that whatever steps might be ta-
ken by his country there was no desire
to encroach on or interfere with the
I Monroe doctrine. This explanation, he
added, he thought was due the United
States, as the only purpose of his gov
eminent was to assist his people in coll
iecting debts due them.
Secretary Hay replied Dec 16, 1901,
saying in effect that the Monroe doc
4 trine was not intended to shield any
American nation from the payment Of
Its honest debts, and that It's purpose
was to prevent the acquisition of terri
tory by old world nations. To further
elucidate the position of the United
States on the Monroe doctrine he quot
ed from the first annual message of
President Roosevelt, giving his inter-
probation of the Monroe doctrine.
When Senator Cuilom had concluded,
Senator Lodge called attention to the
declaration attributed to Lord Lans-
downe by dispatches that there Is no
Great Britain to acquire any Venezue-
Ian territory.
Senator Bacon of Georgia. leading
minority member of the committee on
foreign affairs, said that on a question
of this kind there was no party divis-
ion; that everybody would stand with
the administration in doing what was
best for general good. There was no
doc Of -
barrass those who were in control OF
affairs and upon whom devolved the
duty OF protecting American interests.
The maintenance of the Monroe doc
trine, he added, devolved on the whole
people.
Senator Hoar said that thus far MOTH
Ing had been done to cause apprehen-
sion, and he expressed the opinion that
for the present the government of the
United States could do nothing more
than keep watchful eye on the situa-
ton.
Senator Stewart dwe1t somewhat on
the bombardment of the Venezuelan
fort, and said that that incident should
be accepted by your government as a
warning of what this country might
expect whenever excuse might offer.
He gave as his reason for his admoni-
ton the fact that our recent acquisition
of territory had aroused the jealousy of
all the European powers and that they
might attack us at any time.
Not in two generations" he said,
could we build UP navy equal to that
of Great Britain, but we can strengthen
our coast Notifications. and in the light
of yenezuelan's actions it behooves us
to do So"
As there was no formal question be-
fore the senate, the matter was drop
ped.
VENEZUELAN CONSUL SCORED.
Agent at Port of Spain Said to Have
Ansered British.
New York, Dec. f7.-Among the
causes of irritation between Great Brit
ain and the Castro government of Ven
ezueia were the actions of the Nenezue-
Ian consul at Port of Spain, British
Island of Trinidad. A characteristic
description of the methods he is alleged
to have followed is furnished by the
s Port of Cpair Gazette of Nov Oh TT