Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-02-18
ISSUES A Blue BOOK
INTERESTING REPORT ON vENE.
ZUELAh AFFAIR PUBLISHED
BY GREAT BRITAIN.
COVERS THE NEGOTIATIONS
Also Makes Public a Letter From the
Former British Minister to venezue.
la in Which Charges Are Made That
Mr.. Bowen ard His Secretary Were
Partial to Venezuela-Enoljsh Ad.
miraIty Officials Suggested Blockade

London, Feb. IA blue book on
the Venezuelan dispute was issued
during the evening. One of the dis
patches in the book is an official letter
from the former British Minister at
Caracas. w. d. Haggard to Foreign
Minister Lansdowne. dated Trinidid
December 80. concerning the alleged
detention of the British schooner Har-
ry Troop by the Venezuelan govern
mont in an unhealthful place from May
to November. 1902, whereby the crew
We're decimated by dysentery.
Mr.. Haggard says in this letter:
Il regret to say that 1t would appear
that | placed too much faith in the
complete accuracy of the statements
OF the secretary of the United States
legation. w. w. Russell, as to the i'm
provement in the condition of the Har-
ry Troop. etc. when he saw her.
These statements may possibly be ar
| counted for by the facts, which appear
undoubted that Mr. Bowen was most
anxious for reasons best known to
himself, to represent the conduct of
the Venezuelan authorities in the
Most Favorable Light
possible. and that he had inspired his
subordinate in the same direction. To
put it briefly, Mr.. Russell did not dare
to say word outside the legation
contrary to President Castro's mode
of proceeding"
Another dispatch is Sir Michael
Herbert's report to Minister Lans-
downe on his disagreement with Min
listed Bowen. dated January 30 The
British ambassador says in this report:
The Italian ambassador. the Ger
man charge d'affaires and | called to-
night on Mr.. Bowen. I informed him
that we were forced to reckon with
public opinion in England and that it
might be necessary to fall back on the
international tribunal at The Hague.
We were unable to obtain a satisfac-
tory answer from Mr.. Bowen. who was
very obdurate. He ultimately made
a statement in reply in the following
terms:
Il object to paying first the claims
of the allied powers and the claims of
the other nations afterwards, because:
Firstly. think it is
Unjust Unfair and illegal
to tie the hands of the said other ma
tion for neriod of five or six years
that it would take to pay the claims
Of the allied powers; secondly, if
recognize that brute force can alone
be respected in the collection of
claims ! should encourage the said
other nations to use force also; third
ly. if the allied powers wanted prefer
ential treatment they should have
asked for ii at the beginning"
Mr. Bowen added, however. that he
was willing to grant months prefer
ence. This is the only mention in the
blue book of the dispute between Sir
Michael Herbert and Mr. Bowen
The beginning of the blue book is
taken up with long affidavite from
British subjects in support of their
claims against Venezuela for comnen
sation for outrages. and Venezuela's
counter protests with regard to the
case Of The steamer Banrigh
Willing to Take Joint Action.
The first important document re-
cords a conversation between Foreign
Minister lansdowne and the German
ambassador In the course OF this
conversation Lord Lansdowne said:
w y Silphit w luitt ltdtNN W toilit-
with the German government with
view to Joint action"
Germany, on August 8, suggested
joint naval demonstration. The Brit
ish admiralty officers expressed the
opinion that the best form for this
demonstration would be a blockade.
The British foreign minister on No
vember II instructed Sir Michael Her
bert to put the British case before the
United States government Secretary
Hay in reply stated that his govern
ment although it regretted that the
European powers should use force
against Central and South American
countries. could not object to their tax
ing steps to obtain redress for the in
iuries suffered by their subjects. pro-
vided that no acquisition OF territory
was contaminated"
Trsn blue hook in general covers the
crouhd already known. the salient fea.
tnrcs being the persistent endeavor to
get President Roosevelt to arbitrate