The Dickinson press., 1903-02-21
SIGN THE PROTOCOLS
MINISTER BOWEN AND REPRE-
SENTATiVES OF THE ALLIES
FINALLY AGREE.

~ tne FroViSionS OF tne adjustment
Germany Secures the Best Of the
Bargain and Will Receive an Ad
vance Payment Of $s4o,ooo-BIock
ade Of the Venezuelan Ports to Be
Immediately Raised.
Washington, Feb. 14.-Herbert W.
Bowen, Venezuela's representative in
the peace negotiations at Washington,
has signed with each Of the allies
representatives here a protocol pro-
viding for the immediate raising of the
Venezuelan blockade and for the refer
ence of the question of preferential
treatment of the claims of the allies
against Venezuela to The Hague ar.
bitration tribunal. The final formaili
ties occurred at the British embassy
At 1880 o'clock p. m. Mr.. Herbert
Deering, first secretary Of the British
Embassy, announced that the British
protocol had just been signed and that
signatures of the Italian and German
protocols would follow in the order
named.
The Italian protocol was signed at
1850 and the German protocol at
1910 o'clock, the presence of Baron
Sternberg at the White House musi
Gale delaying final close to the ne
gotiatlons until after midnight.
Language Of Protocols.
The British protocol was in English,
the Italian in Italian and German, and
the German in German and English
Mr.. R~ zen signed in duplicate for
Venezuela. Sir Michael Herbert for
Great Britain, Signor Mayor des Plan.
ches for Italy and Baron Speck Won
Sternberg for Germany. Immediately
on the signing Of the last protocol, ca.
bles were dispatched to London, Ber
lin aud Rome announcing the fact. 1t
Is expected that the commanders OF
the blockading fleet within the next
twenty-four hours will receive their
orders to withdraw their vessels at
once.
BY the provisions of these prelimi
nary protocols, which have required
more than three weeks of constant
negotiations. Venezuela makes two dis
tinct gains, the immediate raising OF
blockade from which she has been
suffering for some weeks, and the re-
turn Of all her vessels, war and mer
chant. which have been captured by
the allied fleet.
Manner Of Payment.
Great Britain, Germany and Italy
receive advance payments of G5,5OO
each, Great Britain receiving her pay
ment on the signature of the proto
col and Germany and Italy within
thirty and sixty days from date. Ger
many in addition will receive five
monthly payments until the full
amount paid her in advance aggregates
$340,000. AS guaranty for the sat
isfaction Of their claims, Mr.. Bowen
pledges the allies a share with the
other creditors nations in 80 per cent
Of the customs receipts Of the two
ports Of La Guayra and Puerto Cabel
10. This percentage will be set aside
beginning March 1 and retained ir
the Venezuelan treasury until The
Hague tribunal shall decide whether
It shall be distributed without prefer
ence among the claimant nations Of
whether the allied powers of Great
Britain, Germany and Italy shall re
ceive preferential payments.
Italy Makes Gains.
Italy, by her protocol, gains imme
date payment of her first class claims
without further adjudication, as soor
as the joint commission at Caraca:
shall have passed on the remainder
of her claims. In round numbers the
adjudicated Italian claims amount tt
$3.50, 900, from which will be subtract
ed the $27, 500 to be paid her sixty
days from the signature Of her frs
protocol. The Italian ambassador al
so has secured for his government th'
insertion in his protocol of an agree
ment that Venezuela will insert in he
treaty with Italy the favored natiol
clause possessed by the other nations
Great Britain has left her protoco
unchanged since it was approved b.
the London foreign office some day
ago.
It is stipulated by the protocols tina
the claims of the creditor nations
shall be adjudicated by joint commits
sions to consist in each instance Of ;
Venezuelan, a representative of tn
claimant power, and, in case Of a dis
agreement, an umpire to be named b,
the president Of the United States.