The Saint Paul globe., 1902-12-15
News That Shots Have Been
Fired Awakens Apathetic
London to a Realization
Of the Gravity of the
Situation Sarcastic
Comment on the Course
of Action OF Lord Lons-
downe-ltaly's Entrance
Not Thought, TO Lend
Additional Complications
TO the State Of Affairs.

LONDON, Dec. 15.-The news that
the first, shots have been fired in
Venezuela has awakened the most
apathetic of the critics to the gravity
of the situation which is developing
In that country and the demands that
the government present official papers
in the matter to parliament are now
most insistent. These demands are ac-
companied by comments to the effect
that Foreign Secretary Landsdowne
has failed to display, either in the war
office or the foreign Office, such con.
spicuous ability as to induce the ma
ton to trust him with a blank
cheque" in such complicated and
combustible matter as Venezuela
threatens to prove. The Associated
Press understands that the papers will
be issued today or Wednesday at the
latest.
Thus far the British public has had
to depend entirely upon press dis
patches for its news and the serious
complaint is made that the public is
obliged and indebted to American.
newspapers for the text of the British
and German ultimatums to Venezuela.
The revelation of the terms of the
British ultimatum does not enhance
the existing appreciation of the Brit
ish governments management of the
affair. One newspaper, referring this
morning to that clause of the British
ultimatum which demands the pay
ment of the sum equal to that paid to
Germany, says such a peculiar claim
makes the British note sort of ap-
pendiX to the German note, and asks
ironically, why did Great Britain
not intrust the whole business to Ger
many; that country would have been
more expeditions in the matter"
No New Complications.
Italy's active entrance upon the scene
is not believed tc simplify the situa-
tion. Special dispatches from Rome
assert that Signor Riva, the Italian
minister at Venezuela, presented the
italian u1timatum at Caracas Satur-
day. The time set for an answer to this
ultin1atum expired Sunday, and accord
ing to the Rome dispatches, Signor
Riva has already embarked on the Ital-
ian cruiser, Giovanni Dausan. Signor
Riva's two daughters had a narrow
escape from maltreatment from the
populace. This news cannot be con-
frmed from other sources. 1t is said
that owing to the fact of the Italian
cruiser Carlo Alberto's being ice bound
the cruiser Liguria has been ordered
" pIOCScQ " v cHSZuSld. Itdiy Illus Will
have four or five warships on the spot
to cooperate with the British and Ger
man warships
Most of the morning newspapers con-
slider the bombardment of the fortress
at Puerto Cabello puts all likelihood
of arbitration or any pacific settlement
of the difficulty entirely out of the
question, and they begin to talk Sc
riously of the difficulty of enforcing
payment of the demands should Presi-
dent Castro decide to defy the powers
and retire to the interior of the coun-
try. Realizing that a prolonged block
ade or hostilities would endanger the
interests and perhaps the lives of for
eign residents Of Venezuela, many
newspapers are beginning to ask
whether the government has not acted
hastily.