Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1902-12-12
ULTIMATUMS TO CASTRO
England and Germany to Take Measures
to Force Their Claims.
LEGATIONS HAVE BEEN CLOSED.
Premier Balfour's Announcement In the House
of Commons Is Regarded as Merely the
Obvious elimination to the Situation
Which Daily Has Been Becoming More
Critical for Three Months.

London (By Cable).-Great Britain
and Germany have presented ultima
tums to Venezuela. which will be fol-
lowed by the seizure of the custom
houses unless satisfactory settlement
is forthcoming within brief period.
The utimatums have a time limit,
but the exact date cannot be ascertain
ed here. A representative OF the For
eign Office states, with regard to the
time limit:
1T is a reasonable time i'll which
Venezuela can satisfy the injured Gov
ernments. Both notes arc practically
Identical although the amounts OF the
claims differ The notes merely reit-
crate the continued disregard by the
Venezuelan Government OF all our rep
RESERVATIONS, specify our claims and de-
Hland immediate action on the part OF
President -Gastro's Government in con-
necton with them.
There is not the slightest desire to
coerce Venezuela. and if any answer
had been made to Our repeated protests
and demands no such action as now
taken would have been proceeded with.
1t was the persistent and insulting dis
regard of all representations which
compelled us to move. Now it is too
late for anything but purely diplomatic
arrangements to be accepted in salts
faction for our injuries When the
fleets have assembled there is scarcely
time to deal with bankers. A financial
settlement should have been suggested
long ago and would have been welcom
ed by both Germany and ourselves.
However, any bona hde proposition
will receive careful attention. Recon-
struction in commercial affairs is al
ways better than liquidation, and if the
nances can be accomplished to the sat
isfaction of our diplomatic claims and
individual losses, both Germany and
Great Britain will have achieved their
ends"
A complicating circumstance has
arisen in the inability of the Foreign
Office to communicate with it's Minis
ter in Venezuela. w. H. D. Haggard
The Foreign Office is hourly awaiting
important dispatches. While the Gov
eminent is worried at its inability to
get an answer from Minister Haggard
| inquiries revealed the fact that the Ven
ezuelan representatives are in a similar
situation
Premier Balfour announced the ulti-
matum in the House OF Commons.
When questioned on the situation by the
Liberal Leader, Sir Henry Campbell
Bannerman, he said: 81 :
For the last two years We4have had
grave cause for complaint on various
occasions of unjusti6able interference
by the Venezuelan Government with
the liberty and property OF British sub
jects. No efforts have been spared by
the British Government to obtain an
amicable settlement of these cases, but
in none of them have satisfactory ex-
plantations been Forthcoming. Latterly
the representations of the British Min
lister have been practically unnoticed.
There are also cases in which British
subjects and companies have large
claims.
I'VE have been acting in conjunction
with the German Government, which
also has large claims against Venezuela.
A final communication has been made
to the Venezuelan Government by the
British Minister and the German
charge d'affaires. If no satisfactory re-
ply is received the Governments have
decided to take such measures as may
he necessary RI enforce their claims "