Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-02-13
IGNORES AGREEMENT
GERMANY BACKS CUT OF PEW.
Gus ARRANGEMENT ON vENE.
ZUELAN QUESTION.
DEMANDS CASH. PAYMENT

unree dundred and Forty housan
Dollars the Amount Desired, In Lieu
Of Which She Wants a Lien on Cue.
toms Receipts Of One Of the South
American Republics Ports-Aetion
Repudiated by the Other Allies.
Washington. Feb. 12.-Germany has
ignored her previous agreement made
with Mr.. Bowen by Count A. Won
Quadt. her charge ~d'affaires, and has
insisted on a cash payment of $780,
600 or a lien on the customs receipts
Of one Of the Venezuelan ports until
this amount Is paid. This information
was communicated to Mr.. Bowen dur
ing the evening by Baron Speck O
~Sternberg, the German minister.
Mr.. Bowen Immediately informed
the German minister that he refused
to yield the receipts of any port prior
to The Hague decision, saying that
would be preferential treatment. AS
to the cash payment Of $4,000 de-
manded, Mr.. Bowen left that matter
to the German minister to determine,
saying to him that if Germany can
afford to make a public confession
that it does not stand by agreements
signed by its duly accredited diplo-
mats, he tMr. Bowen) is willing that
they shall receive on the day the pro-
tOcol is signed the total amount asked
In the original ultimatum.
Renounce Responsibility.
Great Britain and Italy have re-
nOunced any responsibility for the ac-
ton Of Germany and expressed their
regret. Through their representatives
here they have informed Mr.. Bowen
that they will stand by all agree
ments they have made with him and
will not be Influenced by the action of
Germany. Both the British n Ital-
Ian protocols provide for a cash pay
ment Of E5,500 and for the submits
sion of the question of preferential
treatment to The Hague. They con-
tain recommendations for the renewal
OF all previous treaties of amity and
commerce and the Italian convention
has an article providing for the pay
ment Of the Italian claims which al
ready have been adjudicated without
further arbitration, after her commits
OAsA q q VI dNCu tAC OllC Cldlll0
With the exception of the demand
for an increased cash payment, the
protocol Of Germany in all essential
respects Will conform to that of Great
Britain. All three protocols, it is un-
derstood. will provide for the imme-
dite return of all vessels seized by the
b%lockading ships.
Result Of MISUNDERSTANDING.
It is stated that the action Of Ger
many in asking for $34O, 900 instead
Of contenting herself with E5.5O0, Is
due to a misunderstanding of certain
steps in the negotiations which had
been passed on by Count Quadt before
the arrival of Baron Won Sternberg.
In the original ultimatum addressed
to President Castro by the British,
German and Italian governments, a
cash payment Of 100000 bolivars
each for Great Britain and Germany
and Of $500 900 bolivars for Italy was
demanded. Soon after Mr.. Bowen's
arrived here a paper was signed at
the British embassy by the three rep
resentatives of the allies, the British
and Italian ambassadors and the Ger
man charge. Count Quadt, and by Mr..
Bowen. to the effect that the allied
powers would accept a cash payment
or an adequate guaranty for the event
ual satisfaction Of their claims as q
condition precedent to the raising Of
the blockade. Mr.. Bowen offered 80
per cent Of the customs receipts of
Puerto Cabello and La 0uayra as a
guaranty for the payment of "all
claims" Later he consented to give
the British government $500 cash
In consideration Of their contention
that they
Desired Immediate Satisfaction
for outrages committed on British sub.
5ects. No objection was made at the
time either by the Italian ambassador
Of the German charge.
The three powers accepted the guar
anty offered by Mr.. Bowen as entirely |
satisfactory. Then arose the question
as to the Interpretation Of the term
"all claims Mr.. Bowen claiming it
meant the claims Of all nations against
Venezuela and the allies that it re-
ferred exclusively to the claims of
Great Britain. Germany and Italy. 1t
was then decided that the question of
preferential treatment be referred to
The Hague. Mr.. Bowen informed the
italian and German representatives
that he would make to their govern
ments the same cash payment Ohered
to Great Britain inc an agreement
was signed by all Of the negotiators
accepting a sufficient guaranty in lieu
Of the cash payment demanded in the
original protocols.
Bowen Produces Agreement.
Last Friday night a c~abiegram ar
rived from the Berlin foreign office in.
curing about the payment Of the
$340, 900. Mr.. Bowen produced the
signed agreement renouncing this de-
mand. The matter since that time
has been a subject Of correspondence
between the Berlin foreign office and
the German minister, the latter urg-
ing Germany not to press this matter.
Now the foreign ONCE refuses to re-
linquish immediate possession of the
gao 600 mentioned, though pressed to
do SO by both Baron Sternberg and
Count Quadt. who feel greatly embar-
raised because of the previous under
standing and the present orders which
they must execute.
1t is expected that an answer will
arrive here during the day from Ger.