Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-07
TO SIGN PROTOCOLS
Progress in the Venezuelan
Negotiations.
GOES TO THE HAGUE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT DECLINES
TO ARBITRATE.
Exchanges With European Capitals
Relative to Proposed
Agreements.
GOES TO THE HAGUE

president Roosevelt has declined the IN
vitation of the allied powers to arbitrate the
question as to whether they shall receive
preferential treatment In the settlement or
their claims against Venezuela over the
other creditor nations. The matter, there
fore, now will be referred to The Hague
tribunal This will result In the immediate
raising of the blockade.
Immediately on receipt of Secretary Hays
note announcing the Presidents declina-
tion, the British ambassador addressed
communication to Minister Bowen stating
that he was suffering from attack OF
grip and would be obliged If Mr. Bowel
would call on him.
The Venezuelan envoy went at once to
the embassy where the British ambassador
explained that he had been too ill to call
for several days, and announced the arrival
of his protocol, which he prepared to
submit to Mr.. Bowen for signature. Later
the German envoy, Baron Sternburg called
on Mr.. Bowen and announced the arrival
of his protocol The cumbersome machln-
cry of The Hague, it is expected will de-
lay matters considerably, and the payment
of the creditor nations cannot begin until
the important question of priority payment
for the allies is decided. The finding of
The Hague tribunal may not be handed
down for some months The tribunal may
decide the vital question as to whether
treatment at the hands of their debtor.
Coming from The Hague it will establish
a precedent, while decision on the point
from President Roosevelt would have car
ried no such weight decisive of a point
of international law.
Many exchanges are going on between
Washington and the European capitals as
the result of the efforts of the allied repre-
sertatves here to prepare satisfactory pro-
tocolS providing for settlement of the
claims. The task of drawing up these doc
umentS is much more complicated and
arduouS than would at first appear. owing
to the necessity of providing against all
contingencies and framing a set of agree
ments for the settlement of the claims that
will resist the attacks of astute interna-
uonal lawyers at a later stage.
The Issue for The Hague.
The first set of protocols, providing for
reference Of the question of preferential
claims to The Hague tribunal may be
much simpler in form than the second Set
for 1T is the present intention to limit the
arbitration to precisely one point, namely
the right of the allies to subordinate or de-
fer the claims of other countries to their
own as the result of hostile acts. The i'm
preston prevails here that that issue can
be soon disposed of by arbitration, and. in
the interest of quick decision and re-
duced expense it is suggested that all the
parties to the arbitration including the
claimant powers other than the allies, in
CluUILS VI COulS SO lilc OHll6u 0ldleS Snail
agree upon one person as the arbiteI, and
that person win probably be the minister
Of foreign affairs of the Netherlands To go
beyond one arbitrator would cause each
government to select an arbitrator itself,
with the result that there would be very
cumbersome court and little prospect Of
straight decision upon the principle in
VOWED, such as would surely come from
single arbitrator. But to reach even that
result it will probably be necessary for Mr..
Bowen to make separate agreement with
every claimant nation
Settlement of Claims.
A more difficult set Of protocols to ar
range will be those providing for the adju-
dication and settlement of all claims
against Venezuela, emitting any reference
to the question of preference. But it is felt
that if the negotiators are willing to accept
Mr.. Bowens proposal constituting sepa-
rate commissions at Caracas to pass upon
the questions of fact. such the actual
value of property claimed to have been
seized or destroyed, these protocols may be
drawn within few days. The plan agreed
on for the collection Of the payment provides
that the Caracas government shall be in
trusted with the administration of the re-
ceipts unless thirty days are allowed to
elapse without the prompt payment to any
one nation of It's share, in which event the
Belgian government Is empowered to ap-
point agents to take charge of the customs
houses and administer the payments until
the claims of all the nations are satisfied.
1t is admitted that some days may yet
pass before either of the protocols can be
signed owing to minor differences but ne
gotiations are expected to move more swift
ly than in the past.
Meanwhile the exchanges are passing be-
tween Mr.. Bowen and the allied representa-
tves In an amicable manner, and unless
some new element Is injected into the stua-
ton by the allies Qor Mr.. Bowen regards
nlEa ~ ma do ny &c, half
negotiations will proceed to a successful
conclusion.