The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-14
BLOCKADE ID BE
 RAISED AT ONCE Bowen Signs Protocol With
 Each of the Allies VENEZUELA MAKES GAINS
All Her Vessels Will Be Returned at Once and Officers of Foreign Fleets Will Withdraw From the
 Coast.

Washington, February 1s. = Herbert Bowen. Venezuela's representative In the peace negotiations in Washington, tonight signed with each of the allies representa- tives here a protocol providing for the immediate raising of the venezuelan blockade and for the reference Of the question of preferential treatment or the claims of the allies against Venezuela to The Hague arbitration tribunal.
 The final formalites occurred at the British embassy. At 11:50 o'clock tonight MT Herbert Dering, first secretary or the British embassy, announced to the Associated Press that the British protocol had just been signed The italian proto- col was signed at 1:50 ana the German protocol at 12:10 o'clock, the presence ot Baron yon Sternberg at the White House musicale delaying a final close to the ne gotiations until after midnight.
 The British protocol was in English, the Italian in Italian and German, and the German in German ana English MT Bowen signed in duplicate Tor Venezuela Sir Michael Herbert for Great Britain. Signor Mayor Desplanches for Italy and Baron Spec von Sternberg for Germany. Immediately on the signing of the last protocol cables were dispatched to Lon don, Berlin and Rome announcing the fact
 Will Withdraw in 24 Hours. It is expected that the commanders of the blockading fleets within the next "A hours will receive their orders to With draw their vessels at once
 | By the provisions of these preliminary protocols, which have required more than three weeks of constant negotiations Venezuela makes two distinct gains, the immediate raising of a blockade rom which she has been suffering for some weeks and the return of all her vessels war and merchant, which have been cap | tured by the allied fleet.
 Great Britain, Germany and Italy re- ceived advance payments of 955oO each, | Great Britain receiving her payment on l the signing of 1he T. atoctA and Germany and Italy within thirty and sixty days | from date. Germany in addition, will receive five monthly payments until the full amount paid her in advance aggre- l gates $34O, GOO.
 1 As a guarantee for the satisfaction of their claims. MT Bowen pledges the al- 1 lies share with the other creditor na- 1 tions in 30 per cent of the customs re- | ceipts of the ports of La Guayra and Porto Cabello. This percentage will be set aside beginning March 1 and retained in the Venezuelan treasury until The Hague tribunal shall decide whether It | shall be distributed without preference l among the claimant nations or whether the allied power of Great Britain, Ger many and Italy shall receive preferential payments,
 Italy Gains Immediate Payment.
 Italy, by her protocol. gains immediate payment of her first-class claims without l 1{x. tha fDfu uf commission at Car. cas shall have passed on the remainder of her claims. In round numbers these adjudicated Italian claims | amount to $560, ,000. from which will be ! subtraeted the ,5e0 to be paid her sixty days from the signature of her first pro- toco The Italian ambassador also has secured for his government the insertion in his protocol of an agreement that Ven ezuela will insert in her treaty with Italy the favorable nation clause pos sessed by the other nations.
 Great Britain has left her protocol un- l changed since 1t was approved by the London foreign office some days ago.
 It is stipulated by the protocols that the claims of the creditor nations shall be ad- Indicated by joint commission to consist in each instance of Venezuelan repre- sentative of the claimant power, and in case of disagreement an umpire to be named by the President of the United States.
 The protocols in providing for refer ence of the question of preferential treat ment to The Hs que do not state in de- tail the methods of procedure by which the case is to be laid before the tribunal. This will be done in a second set of I protocols, the preparation of which will begin at once. It Is provided however | that not Venezuela alone. but all the other creditor nations. shall be permitted to appear with her before the tribunal in opposition to the allies for preferential payment.
 Upon the signing of the protocols to- night, congratulations were exchanged by the four negotiators.
 MT. Bowen then dispatched a brief cablegram to President Castro informing him of the signature of the protocols pro- viding for the raising of the blockade.
 The British protocol consists of nine articles and the others are practically of the same length. All provide for the renewal of existing treaties of amity and commerce with Venezuela.
 The customs receipts to be set aside for the powers pending the decision of Tho Hague are to be deposited in the Bank of | England at Carscas