The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-03
Bowen's Ultimatum.

Representing Venezuela in the pending
negotiations for settlement Of the claims
against that country, and indirectly repre-
senting the United States as one of the
creditors Mr.. Bowen yesterday rejected
the proposition Of the triple alliance that
preference should be given them to the
extent OF two-thirds Of 80 per cent Of the
customs receipts Of the two Venezuelan
ports, and that the other creditors, should
agree to take the remaining third Of the
30 per cent. Mr.. Bowen is conspicuously
right Tor such concession, as he says.
would be sanctioning the allies argument
for preferential treatment embodied in the
ruthless bombardn2ent of ports and the
Smelling Of villages and the killing on
helpless women and children, methods
offensive to modern civilization. Com
imitted to this kind Of brutal argument are
Great Britain and Italy, as well as Ger
many for, as partners, they are consen-
tient to Germany's brutal course. All lead
ing writer's on International law regard ii
as forming part of jus gentium that a
belligerent may legitimately employ his
forces against the enemy's country, but
not against inoffenstve individuals, as wal
is a relation of state to state and not Of
individual to individual or OF state to in
5dividual. When the German Kaiser,s
grandfather ordered MS troops to march
on Paris in 1870, he declared: I'VE do not
make war on The peaceful Inhabitants
on the contrary, it is the duty of every
soldier to honor and respect private prop
erty." The Brussels conference of 1874
Voiced the same principle and declared
that before the bombardment of town
the authorities must be duly warned and
buildings used as churches, hospitals and
.beneficient purposes are to be spared
The Hague peace conference, which estab-
Ished the International tribunal of arbi-
'tration, recommended the attenuation OF
the rgors and cruelties Of war methods
sI'he principle underlying the dellverences
OF that conference was that a state OF
war may only exist between the armed
forces Of belligerent powers.
u Germany, tie most aggressive power il
the triple alliance, and acting in their be.
half. has ignored the restraints of modern
warfare as embodied in that rule, which
guided the old Kaiser Wilhelm In his in
vasion of French territory! OF Great Bri-
tain better things were expected. The
eprofuse avoWals by her public men of very
sincere friendliness toward the United
States are accompanied by the most i'm.
friendly Of attitudes toward US with re
.spect to the settlement of the Venezuelan
claims. There is disposition to ignore
the interests of the United States in thu
settlement. After apparently agreeing tt
refer the whole matter to The Hague trib
8unal for arbitration. the allies have intro
,duced this new proposition, manifestly
unfriendly to the other creditors Mr.
Bowen now offers to have this new prefer
entail proposition referred, with the whole
subject Of the claims, for adjudication by
the international tribunal. This is really
the only matter in dispute, and, if the
allies do not accede to the proposition
agreed to by Venezuela and the Other
creditors of that republic, they will stanC
as persistent enemies Of peace and re.
4pudiators of tribunal for whose organ.
ence which met a few years ago, at the
suggestion Of the Car Of Russia, at The
Hague. Every claim and every matter
in dispute as to Venezuela might have
been referred for adjustment to The
Hague tribunal, which is specially adapted
TO the adjustment of international money
claims