The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-06
British Ambassador Cables His
Troubles to London.
RECEIVES TART REPLY
Reminded That He Is Here to
Obey Orders.
Minister Bowen's Credentials
Attacked in Pamphlet
Printed and Circulated in Ven
ezuela's Capital.


Washington, Feb. 6.-Confrmation of /
the London dispatch of yesterday to (
the effect that Mr.. Bowen and the Brit
ish ambassador at their interview Mon /
day, had a somewhat heated argument I
was obtained here today. Indeed, it is
stated that should the character of the
cablegrams that the British ambassa-
dor has been sending to his govern
ment regarding the attitude OF Minis !
ter Bowen, become public the country /
would be furnished with sensational
diplomatic incidents. It is the opinion
of the Venezuelan negotiators other
than the British ambassador that the
latter is directly responsible for the
abrupt breaking off of negotiations
with Mr.. Bowen. 1t is the opinion in
official circles here that Minister
Bowen has an absolute right acting for
Venezuela. of course. TO object to Pres
ident Roosevelt acting as arbitrator.
To do SO would cause pain to Mr..
Bowen, whose admiration for Mr.
Roosevelt is well known, but he feels
obliged to keep well in mind the fact
that he is here not as an American,
but as d representative OF Venezuela
The British ambassadors conduct haS
resulted in several important details
of the mOmentous conference of Mon
day last leaking out and these are now
substantiated by the other negotlators
present.
It seems that when the British am
/ bassador who took the lead at this
conference had finished reading the ca
bIegram of Lord LansdoWnes contain
ing his last proposition for twenty
and ten per cent division Of the Gus
I tom receipts of Porto Cabello and La
= I7a al n h
er claimant nations respectively,
4 Mr.. Bowen at once remarked in an
emphatic tone that the proposition was
4 but another scheme to try to trick
Venezuela into ,abetting an alliance
1 against her for six years and probably
4 longer He added that he would not
! consent to any scheme for continuing
/ the triple alliance one elay longer than
he was forced to. A diplomat stated
! afterward:
1T was Mr.. Bowen who exploded the
I bombshen the moment the proposition
was made" Charges that Great Brit
ain was endeavoring secretly to con-
/ tinue her alliance with Germany were
resented by the British ambassador
/ though he showed no ill-feeling at the
I conference. After the conference it is
+ said he sent a cablegram to London
4 stating that he was diSpleased with the
conduct of Mr.. Bowen and that if it
were left to him to decide he would
not continue negotiations with him. He
matte corps the greatest indignation
that an ambassador from the court of
/ st. James should be so treated On the
other hand both the italian ambassa-
dor and German minister have taken
! occasion to say several times since the
/ Monday conference that Mr.. Bowen
I has treated all the negOtiatOrs with
uniform courtesy and surprising gen
erosity throughout the negotiations
and only yesterday both of these dip
lomats called and expressed thanks
for his consideration of them.
Mr.. Bowen must stand UP for Vene-
zuela, it was explained, if he did not,
he would forfeit our respect. Another
feature of the last a hours has been
/ the receipt of an exceedingly tart ca
blegram from Lord Lansdowne at the
British embassy. The cable, it is
stated, went so far as to remind The
British ambassador that he was here
to obey orders.
BOWEN'S AUTHORITY ATTACKED
Paris. Feb. 6.-The correspondent of
the Matin at Caracas. telegraphs that
a pamphlet is being circulated in that
/ city in which it is asserted that the
{ powers conferred on Minister Bowen
by President Castro are null because Of
| an article in the Venezuelan constitu-
ton providing that a representative of
! Venezuela in such cases must have an
authorization in order to serve the re-
/ public and the pamphlet points out
that Minister Bowen has no such au-
! thorizatiOn. Moreover. according to the
pamphlet any convention he may ne
/ gOtiate will be invalid unless it is con-
| frmed by the Venezuelan congress
ALLIES ANNOYED
Washington. Feb. 6--Irritated by the
note of Minister Bowen, Venezuela's s
representative addressed to the British
( ambassador on Monday last, refusing to
accept the allies proposal for scheme
of preferential payments by which Great
Britain, Germany and and Italy were to
receive 20 per cent and the remaining
/ eight creditor nations 10 Der cent of the
/ customs of La Guayra and Porto Cabel-
10, the allied powers have instructed
their representatives here to submit the
settlement to President Roosevelt and,
in the event that he declines to act as
arbiter. to take this and possibly the
entire Venezuelan question to The
Hague for settlement. thereby breaking
off negotiations with Mr.. Bowen
If it is found President Roosevelt is
not disposed to allow himself to be
dragged into the negotiations, the in
structions Of the allies are such as to
permit them to forego the embarrass.
ment of rejection at the hands of Mr.
Roosevelt and instead Of making known
their wishes to him. steps VIII be taken
to draw uD a protocol with Mr. Bowen
for a reference of the case to The
Hague. as suggested by him in his note
of last Monday.
The British ambassador was the first
Of the representatives to receive In
structions to this effect. and the matter
was discussed at the monday confer
of the allies.