New-York tribune., 1902-12-16
LIGHT On VENEZUELA.
THE DIPLOMA TIC RECORD
Homes That All vii Be Settled By
.4mer1ca's Good Offices.
Especial to The Tribune by French CableD
lConvricht: 1872. BY The Tribune AssociationO

Copyright: 1862: BY The Tribune Association)
London. Dec 16. / a. m.-Sonle light has been
turned on from the Foreign Office. but the Ven-
ezuela affair virtually remains game of bllnd
mans buff, with England close behind the heels
of Germany The publication of the blue book
still leaves ground for doubt whether the Ger
man Emperor has sought to er1brof England
and the United States whether Secretary
Hay has drawn Lord Lansdowne into coercive
measures because Germany could not be trusted
to act alone. Germany was according to the
diplomatic record the first to suggest dual
action, but an unknown byplay might have
occurred behind the scenes. Lord Lansdowne
made sententious statement in the House OF
Lords, describing the ultimatum the last of
three solemn warnings and admitting that the
American Governments suggestion for arbitra-
ton was under consideration, but he failed to
convince suspicious sceptics that John Bull hau
not been made catspaw for pulling somebody's
chestnuts out of the fire. The subordination of
British to German interests so soon after the
futile Anglo-German agreement in China is re-
garded as an exasperating feature of the new
complication. There are also protests against
the acceptance of the Monroe Doctrine as inter-
national law de facto for the Western Hemi-
sphere without a positive commitment by the
Washington government to the obligation of
keeping unruly and defaulting States in order
The ministers were ass[iled with questions
from opponents and supporters when the House
Of Commons met. and an adjournment was
moved for the purpose of raising the discussion
after the official papers had been examined.
The correspondence, being complete until the
issue of the ultimatum. served to relieve the
government from the reproach of carrying on a
troublesome and possibly dangerous affair in the
dark. 1t contained inventory of the British
claims against Venezuela and the full text of
the ultimatum which followed formal demands
in June and November. 1t demonstrated that
the seizure and destruction of British property
and the Imprisonment of British subjects
the chief causes of complaint; that willingness
had been expressed to submit miscellaneous
lot of private claims to a mixed commission,
and that President Castro had been repeatedly
warned of the necessity of making reparation
The measures agreed upon with Germany were
frankly explained and summaries presented of
the Venezuelan reply and the American proposal
for arbitration
The force of objection to the governments
policy was greatly impaired by these dis
closures. The praCticability of collecting bills
of damages from bankrupt State by the seiz-
ure and scuttling of her revenue vessels and the
bombardment of antiquated forts remained
open to question. and the utility of a commercial
boycott pacific blockade" could be chal-
lenged. The general impression last night was
that the Venezuela affair would be settled by
arbitration with the aid Of the good offices of
the American Government The official corre-
epondence is welcomed. and the leader writers
now have and write ntelgently. But
there evident signs Of public impatience over
a costly naval demonstration when the country
is groaning under 15-penny income tax and
the application of so irregular instrument as
the international law of distraint for the coll
lection OF claims against disordered State is
regarded with distrust