The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-02
COMPROMISE PROPOSITION.
Plan Which May settle the Venezuela
Trouble.

Plan Which May settle the Venezuela
Trouble.
Washington, Feb. 1.-Propositions
involving a compromise of the allied
powers contention for preferential
treatment in the settlement of their
claims against Venezuela have been
submitted to the governments of Great
Britain, Germany and Italy by their
representatives at Washington and
while no answers have been received
as yet. there is reason for the belief
that the allies will see a way to accept
the latest proposition. This compro-
mise has been suggested by one Of the
representatives OF the allies here, and
! while it has not formally received the
endorsement of Minister Bowen, it is
felt that he will not enter serious OBJ
lection 20 its adoption, provided the
United States and the other claimant
nations outside the alliance can be con-
WINGED that their own interests in Ven
ezuela will not be substantially in
jured by yielding to plan which seems
to offer s solution Of the present serious
hitch in the Washington negotiations.
The details of the proposition now
under consideration by the three allied
nations are not obtainable but in a gen.
eral way it is understood to be modi-
fication of the allies contention that
they be recognized as Venezuela's pre-
ferred claimants in the payment of the
indemnity. The plan suggested pro-
vides that for short period, perhaps
six months Or a year, Great Britain,
Germany and Italy shall receive ex-
clusively 80 per cent. of the customs
receipts of the ports of Porto Cabello
and La Guaira and that at the end Of
this period, the exact length of which
is yet open to decision, that all the
claimant nations be placed on the
same footing and at the expiration of
that time the 30 per cent. TO the re-
ceipts of these two ports be divided
among all the claimant nations in ratio
based on the amount of each nations
claim.
The plan is regarded as compro-
mise which will enable the allies to
withdraw their ships from Venezuelan
waters without serious loss of pres
tige.
Whether the claimant nations outside
Of the tripartite agreement will assent
to this scheme is not yet known. The
British ambassador called by appoint
ment on Secretary Hay this afternoon,
and it is believed that some such plan
as this was under consideration, the
British ambassador wishing to ac-
;,,+ h; tbo a.
Of the United States regarding Lord
Lansdowne's contention for preferential
treatment for the allies.
France mas 1t in her power to continue
the Drese1 deadlock in the Washington
negotiations. For while the other un-
allied claimants have outstanding
against Venezuela certain unadjusted
claims all of the French claims are in
a very forward state.
France contends that so far from as
sistirg her III the collection Of her Ven
ezuelan claims, that the blockade if any
thing has hamDered her in that it has
closed all the Venezuelan ports to COM
merce and has prevented for the time
being the collection of the 13 per cent.
of the receipts, pledged her by treaty.
IT. Is the hope of the representatives
of the allies at Washington that in case
their governments accept in principle
the kind of compromise suggested they
will not insist that the period for pref
erential payments he made so long as
to prevent its acceptance by the other
claimant nations.
Mr. Bowen has been assured that the
representatives Of the allies here will
give him a final answer at the earliest
possible moment. Meantime exchanges
here are still in progress between the
allied governments and their respective
embassies here in the effort to agree on
a plan os settlement that will be ac-
ceDtable at once to Venezuela and to
octagonial allies of France, Belgium,
Spain, Denmark, Holland, Norway,
Sweden and the United States.