Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1903-02-11
MUST NOW GO TO THE HAGUE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT REFUSED
TO ARsITRATE VENEZUELA
QUESTION:.
Blockade Will BE Raised Immediately
British Government Wanted Min.
lister Bowen Eliminated From Neqo.
tiations-Was Disappointed Two
Protocols Are to Be Signed.

lster Bowen EIiminateo from Ne0o.
tiations-Was Disappointed Two
Protocols Are to Be Signed.
Washington, Feb. 8.-President
Roosevelt has declined the invitation
Of the allied powers to arbitrate the
question as to whether they shall re-
ceive preferential treatment in the set
clement OF their claims against Vene-
zuela, over the other creditor nations
The matter therefore now will be re-
ferred to The Hague. This will result
in the immediate raising Of the block
ade. The administration, it is stated
in official quarters, was unwilling to
approve the effort Of the British gov.
eminent to eliminate Minister Bowen
from the negotiations, and, moreover,
the president could not have accepted
the invitation Of the allies, even If he
had been so disposed, without the con.
sent of the other negotiator, Minister
Bowen, and this the allies did not OBJ.
tain or request in their note to the
president.
Immediately upon receipt Of Secre-
tary Hays note announcing the pres.
dents declination, the British ambas.
sadOr sent a communication to Mr..
Bowen stating that he was suffering
from an attack of the grip and would
be obliged if Mr.. Bowen would call on
him.
The Venezuelan representative i'm.
mediately went to the British embas.
sy, where the British ambassador ex.
planned that he had been too i'll to call
,or several days and announced the ar.
rival of his protocol, which he was pre-.
pared to submit to Mr.. Bowen for sig
nature. Later the German minister,
Baron Sternberg, called on Mr.. Bowen
Ind announced the arrival of his pro.
tocol.
The Agreements.
1t was developed that two protocols
are to be signed by Mr.. Bowen with
he Italian ambassador, Signor Hayor
les Planches, two with the British
ambassador and two with the German
minister, Baron Speck Won Sternberg.
The first protocol in each case will
provide for the reference Of the allies
contention for preferential treatment
to The Hague and the raising of the
blockade simultaneously with the sign.
ing Of this convention. 1t is doubtful
whether the initial protocol between
Minister Bowen and the three allies
will contain the same conditions.
though all the negotiators are WORK.
ing to this end.
In these protocols the conditions
precedent to the raising of the block
ade will be clearly stated, namely, that
so per cent of the customs receipts Of
The ports Of La Guayra and Puerto
Cabello are to be set aside by Vene.
zuela for the satisfaction of her cred.
itors and that the question as to
whether the allied powers shall re.
ceive preferential treatment or, as
Great Britain terms it, separate
Hague. These protocols also will pro.
vide that Zenezuela shall pay down
to each of the three allied powers
6 $500 as partial cash payment The
difference between these protocols, it
Is said, will concern certain details,
the nature of which is not yet known
even to Mr.. Bowen.
Having arranged for the signature
of these first protocols, the negotiators
will take up the second protocols.
which are to cover the manner of ad.
Indicating the claims of the various
creditor powers and the means for
the administration of the customs re-
ceipts. AS previously announced, the
claims Of each claimant power are to
be settled by commission, TO consist
in each instance Of representative of
a creditor government and a Venez-
uelan, and, in case of failure to agree,
the king Of Spain will appoint an arbi-
traitor. The plan agreed on for the
collection of the payments provides
that the Caracas government shall be
entrusted with the administration Of
the receipts unless 80 days are allowed
to elapse without the prompt payment
to any one nation Of its share, in which
event the Belgian government IL en-
powered to appoint agents to take
charge of the custom houses and ad
minister the payments until the claims
of all the nations are satisfied.
In administration and diplomatic
circles the reference to The Hague is
regarded as a victory for Minister
Bowen, as Venezuela thereby is en-
abled to recover from the distressing
effect of the blockade before starting
upon the payment Of her debts. The
cumbersome machinery of The Hague,
it is expected, will decay matters con
siderably, and the payment of creditor
nations can not begin until the import.
ant question of priority payment for
tho alias ic danidad