The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-03
sNRIOUs HITCH IN VENEZUELAN
NEGOTIATIONS.

eDg-oOOk was the sine qud IVA
Humping into our heads some idea OF
autobiography remember how Die dog
Tray got into trouble by keeping pad
ms John Bull, If he ever stud
led tina book in, school n spent MS
idle hour. reading the fables on 'front.'
and back pages, surely has torgotIeh
shis one, or else he has failed to pront
by the lesson taught there, for II the
signs of the times are not very deceiV-
ing as to events Of the near future ne
has placed himself in a very
p~osition by going out to play in the
Caribbean sea with Kaiser William.
Germany is ambitious TO estab-
ksh a colonial system on this sid OF
the Atlantic. To do so she has got 10
wipe out the Monroe doctrine. For
years she has been laying in Brazil the
foundation for her transatlantic Colo
nv. Thousands upon thousands OF her
subjects nave been migrating TO that
South American republic. Already are
established there German colonies
whose people, even those born WITHIN
Nhe republic. recognize no allegiance
except such as is enforced by the laws
Of Brazil, to any country but the tatH-
erland. They do not intermarry Or IN
any way mix with the natives. They
are a people to themselves, waiting for
ahe time to come when they can throw
off the mask, and the home government
can under one preteXt or another annex
she large area of Brazil under the con-
sroI of its subjects settled there. Such
action. of course, would be in contra
rention of the Monroe doctrine.
is anxious to find an outlet
for her oyer-crowded population and a
colonial market for consumption OF
nome manufactures and a colonial field
for supplying those articles which she
..ow has to draw from foreign coun-
trIes. This field she finds in South
America, but before she can perfect her
p3ans she must break down the barrier
which our government raised eighty
odd years ago in the Monroe doctrine.
To do this she has taken advantage
of the conditions in Venezuela and has
by shrewd diplomacy enlisted in her
cause Americas greatest friend ana
ally on the European continent. And
here - where Great Britain has played
std dog Tray. She got into bad compa-
ay and has been drawn into an esca-
oo,-or,1,-,, &C y-HEnb III.
little dreamed when she agreed to join
Germany in forcing Venezuela to pay a
few thousands of dollars TO the SUB
5ects OF the joint powers Germany's
sstensible object was TO collect some
, money due her subjects. Every move
she has made since she secured the
material backing of England shows this
was a mere preteXt to secure ulterior
and far more important results.
England's eyes nave been opened. ere
this. to Germany's real purpose and
intent We do not believe She will
follow the Iatter's lead. Her interests
are too closely bound up in those OF
the United States 10 allow her to be
made q tool of in furtherinS Germany
designs against the Monroe doctrine,
That doctrine protects her Canadian
and Caribbean sea possessions as vel
as insuring the integrity of the Contra,
and South American republics against
foreign aggression. Under that doc
uine the United States could not allow
&ny foreign power or combination OF
powers to wrest these possessions from
her. st 4 glance IS seen her interest
IN up-hoiding Us in the maintenance OF
the Monroe doctrine, especially wher
it is remembered that among the pow
ers of Europe Great Britain. in the
words of Senator Benton, stands sol
ftary and alone" Her hand is againsr
every one vi those powers and theI
hands are all against her. The United
States is today her staunchest FRIEND
and ally. England ann stand b!
Germany in this matter.
The dispatches from Washington
City published in yesterdays Messen
ger show how grave the situation is
The three allied powers insist tina
their claims against Venezuela shall b
paid in full out OF the guaranteed thir
ty per cent of the customs receipts o
that before any others ar
taken up. Opposed TO this contention
are the United States and nearly ever.
other power in Europe, all Of whom
have demands against Venezuela SINH
lar to those of England, Germany an
Italy. frances claims and those Q
this government had been a~djudicate
and the terms Of payment settled upon