The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-02-13
Mr.. Bowen Will Not Entertain
Proposals for Division Made
by the Powers.
THE DIFFERENCES ARE GROWING WIDER.
Venezuela Willing to Submit Ques-
tiOn of Preferential Treatment to
The Hague Tribunal, with the I'm
derstanding the blockade Must
Be Raised Pending settlement.

Washington, FEB. 3.-HerDert w.
Bowen, Venezuela's representative in
the negotiations at Washington for
a settlement of the claims against
that country, has sent through the
British ambassador here what
amounts practically to an ultimatum
to the allied powers of Great Britain,
Germany and Italy regarding their in
sistence for preferential treatment in
the settlement of their claims against
Venezuela. This note, which the
British amba assador received shortly
before nine o'clock Monday night,
was cabled at once to London, copies
of it being transmitted TO the Italian
and German embassies for transmits
sion to Rome and Berlin. 1t is in re-
ply to the proposition submitted at
a joint conference of the negotiators
Monday afternoon by the British am
bassador urging that the allied pow
.ers be allowed two-thirds of 80 per
cent. of the customs receipts of the
ports of La Guayra and Porto Cabel-
10, and that the United States and
the other claimant nations, France,
Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Spain
and Norway and Sweden, content
themselves with the remaining one
third of this per centage, that is ten
per cent. of the receipts of these
ports.
A Point Blank Refusal.
In the note received by the British
ambassador from Mr.. Bowen. Monday
night, the latter refuses point blank
the proposition for a 20 and 10 per
cent. division, on the ground that to
recognize the principle it embodies
would be absolutely offensive to mod
ern civilization. In view of the fact
that the negotiators are agreed on
all save the question of preferential
treatment, the ambassador is in
formed that Venezuela has decided to
submit that question to The Hague
arbitra ton tribunal. The acceptance
of this proposition, Venezuela con-
tends, carries with it a raising of the
blockade. the general understanding
being that the blockade would end
when the negotiators at Washington
had reached an agreement.
Ncw Doctrine.
IL Is unuSISUOOu lHdI III rel uSlllS
this last proposition submitted by the
British ambassador on behalf of the
allies, Mr.. Bowen takes the ground
that he can not accept in principle
the contention that blOckades and
bombardment of forts, and the con-
;sequent killing of helpless women
and children, entities any power Or
alliance of powers to preferential
treatment at the hands of civilized
nation. 1t is claimed that should the
peace powers and the blockading
powers agree to such principle they
would incorporate in the law of ma
tions a doctrine in conflict with the
tenets of all modern day ethics.
Bowen:s Position IndOrsed.
Whether the allies will accept as
final what Mr. Bowen has had to say
or will assume conciliatory attitude
and ask, as has been suggested both
by Mr.. Bowen and by the representa-
tives of the allies il this city, for a
preferential treatment for a limited
period, no one in Washington feels
competent to predict. The position
taken by Mr.. Bowen, it is stated, has
received the Endorsement of all the
unallied claimant nations, in which
number is included the United States.