Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-12-26
RAD 70 LET STEAMER N.
Attempt Of Commander Of Italisn
Warship to Shut American Boat
Out Of La Guayra Fails.
VIOLATION OF BLOCKADE AGREEMENT.
Gunboat Marietta Finally Sue
T.; ceeds in Convincing Him of His
I Error and nm Exciting Incident at
/. La Guayra Il Closed.

La Guayra at eight o'clock Tuesday
morning. Her coming was the occa
sion of an exciting controversy, the
captain of the Italian warship Clio.
yanni Bausan having issued a mott
fication that he would not allow the
steamer to enter La Guayra harbor
This announcement created great
excitement among the foreign i'm
porters. The action of the Italian
commander was in contradiction OF
the view taken by the captain of the
British cruiser Tribune who, before
his departure from this port, advised
the British consul that the Caracas
would be allowed to enter the port.
Lieutenant Commander Diehl, of
the United States gunboat Marietta,
after an hours conference with the
Italian commander, succeeded in con-
Sincing him he was wrong in his in
depreciation of the blockade DEGREES
and finally the captain of the Gio-
Sanni Bausan assured Lieutenant
Commander Diehl that the Caracas
would be allowed to enter the port
of La Guayra without hindrance.
An Unreasonable Condition.
The mail, freight and passengers
of the Caracas were landed at ten
o'clock. The captain of the British
cruiser Tribune notified the COM
mander of the Caracas that through
out her stay at La Guayra she must
leave the harbor every night. This
measure is regarded MS vexatious
and causes great expense to the OWE
ers of the steamer.
There were. five newspaper CORE.
spondents on board the Caracas.
j. Captures of Venezuelan Boats.
The German warship which passed
La Gnayra Sunday towing two large
schooners was the Panther. She cap
tured the vessels near Maracaibo.
The German cruiser Gazelle arrived
at La Guayra Monday morning and
sailed again at noon.
The Bausan and the Tribune cap.
tured the following prizes Monday:
The schooner Castor, loaded with
salt, from Araya; the schooner Maria
Luisa, with cargo of cocoa, from
Caronero; the sloop Josefta Carmin [
de Vega, loaded with general car
go, from Caronero; the sloop Corne-
liza, from Guanta.
| May Keep President from Acting.
Washington, Dec, 24.-The formal
proposals of Great Britain and Ger
many that President Roosevelt arbi-
trate the Venezuelan dispute did not
arrive here over night, nor were they
at hand when the cabinet met, but
it is expected that they will reach
Washington within day or two.
{ Strong pressure is being brought
to bear upon the president to decline
the invitations to act as arbitrator.
This pressure comes from the news
papers, from public men throughout
the country and from senator's AMI
representatives in Washington. Sem
ator Cullom, of the senate commit.
tee on foreign relations, called at the
state department. Tuesday with a
bundle of kilograms, all energetic
protests against the embarkation of |
the president upon this arbitration
scheme and all from men prominent
in Illinois.
Message from Commander DiehI.
The following cablegram was re-
ceived at the navy department Tues.
day from Commander Diehl, of the
Marietta, dated La Guayra:
Germany establishes blockade of
Porto Cabello on December %; Mara
caibo, December "a. Steamers from
the United States and West Indies
ten days grace, sails 20 days. Steam
ers from the other ports 20 days,
sails 40 days. Vessels not venezue-
an in blockaded ports Is days. grace.
Full text by letter."
Ambassador Tower reported to the !,
tate department Monday from Der.
in that the blockade of Porto Ca :
'ello and Maracaibo would be effec-I
tive December 20.
Cabinet DiacuAses situation.
The cabinet spent the entire timel
OF the meeting Tuesday in discussion
of the Venezuelan situation. Views
for and against the presidents &C.
ceptance of the invitation to arbi.
trate were discussed. Pending the |
receipt of the invitations it is stated
that the president declines to com.
nit himself as to his course.
The state department. Tuesday re.
,eived cablegram from Minister
Bowen, the first for several DAYS. re-
sording the establishment Of the
blockade lines, according to the proc :
amations already issued, and Stat.
hg that the port of Coro is not vet
3lockaded. He also announced that
Rev. D. Schneider, the only Protest. y
ant clergyman in Caracas, is dead, =
DiverEency of Opinion.
A divergence of opinion h.
- .he cabinet as to the
81 the presidents ace 5 arisen
post of arbitratqr desirablllty
be insisted op -eptance of the
fear is exr- :, even if it should
rasainp by the powers. The
:op- PRESSED that some embar-
Z contingency may arise in the
.se of the arbitration that, in the
end, might seriously involve the
United States.
Comm unication from Britain.
London, Dec. 24.-An important
and lengthy communication dealing
with the British views of the arbi-
tration OF the Venezuelan dispute was
made by Foreign Secretary Iansr
dowpe to the United States chaTge
l'affaires, NJ. White, Tuesday
evening. It was transmitted imme'
diately to Washington by Mr.. White.