Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-02-14
BLOCKADE RAISED.

Herbert w. Bowen, Venezuela's rep
resentative in the peace negotiations a
Washington, last night signed with each
Of the allies representatives in Wash
ington protocol providing for the i'm
mediate raising of the Venezuela block
ade and for the reference of the question
of preferential treatment of the claims Of
the allies against Venezuela to The
Hague arbitration tribunal. The final
formalities occurred at the British En-
bassv.
The British procotol was in English,
the Italian in Italian and German, and
the German in German and English.
Mr.. Bowen signed duplicate for Vene-
zuela, Sir Michael Herbert for Great
Britain, Signor Mayor des Planches fol
Italy, and Baron Spec Won Sternberg for
Germany.
Immediately on the signing of the last
protocol cables were dispatched 10 Lon
don, Berlin, and Rome announcing the
fact. 1t is expected that the command
ers of the blockading feet within the
next twenty-four hours will receive their
orders to withdraw their vessels at once.
BY provisions of these preliminary
protocols, which have required more
than three weeks ofconstant gotiations,
Venezuela makes two distinct gains, the
immediate raising of a blockade from
which she has been suffering for some
weeks and the return of all her vessels,
war and merchant, which have been
captured by the allied fleet.
Great Britain, Germany and Italy re-
ceive advance payments of f5, 500 each,
Great Britain receiving her payment on
the signature of the protocol and Ger
many and Italy within thirty and sixty
days from date. Germany, in addition,
will, receive five monthly installments
until the full amount paid her in ad-
vance aggregates s340, 600. AS a
guaranty for the satisfaction of their
claims, Mr.. Bowen pledges the allies a
share with the other creditor nations in
80 per cent. of the customs receipts OF
the two ports of La Guayra and Puerto
Cabello.
This percentage will be set aside, be-
ginning March /, and retained in the
Venezuelan treasury until The Hague
tribunal shall decide whether it shall be
distributed without preference among all
the claimant nations, or whether the
allied powers of Great Britain, Ger
many and Italy shall receive preferen-
tial payments.
Italy, by her protocol, gains i'm
mediate payment of her first class of
claims, without further adjudication, as
soon as the joint commission at Caracas
shall have passed on the remainder OF
her claims. In round numbers the ad-
Indicated Italian claims amount to
$500. 900, from which will be subtracted
the $27, 500 to be paid her sixty days
from the signature of her first protocol.
The Italian Ambassador also has
secured for his government the inser-
ton in his protocol of an agreement that
Venezuela will insert in her treaty with
Italy the favored nation clause posses
sed by the other nations.
Great Britain has left her protocol un-
changed since it was approved by the
London foreign Office some days ago.
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
The Hague are to be deposited in
bank at Caracas.
1t it stipulated by the protocols thi !
the claims of the creditor nations shall
be adludicated by joint commissions
to consist in each instance of a Vene Me-
Ian. a representative of the claiment
power and, in case of disagreement,
an umpire to be named by the President
of the United States.
The protocols in providing for reference
of the question of preferential treatment
to The Hague do not state in detail the
methods Of procedure by which the case
is to be laid before the tribunal. This
will be done in a second set of protocols,
the preparation of which will begin al
once. 1t is provided, however, that no
Venezuela alone, but all the other credi
tor nations shall be permitted to appear
with her before the tribunal in opposi
ton to the allies for preferential pay
ment,
Upon the signing of the protocols las
night congratulations were exchange
by the four negotiators. Mr.. Bower
then dispatched briefcablegram to Presi
dent Castro informing him of the sigma
ture of the protocols providing for th'
immediate raising of the blockade.