The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-15
Immediate Raising of the
Blockade Follows.
BOWEN CABLESTO CASTRO
The Question Of Preferential Treatment for The
Allies Now G ,es 10 The Tribunal Of
the Hagut Provisions Of the
ADrnemonte
Agreements.
(By the Associated Press.)

Washington, Feb. 13-Herbert w.
Bowen, VeneZuela's representative in the
peace negotiations at Washington, to-
night signed with each of the allies rep
resentatives here a protocol providing
for the Immediate raising of the Vene-
zuelan blockade and for the reference of
the QUESTION of preferential treatment of
the claims of the allies against Venezuela
10 The Hague arbitration tribunal. The
final formalities were effected at the Brit
ish Embassy. At 11:2O O'Clock tonight
Mr.. Herbert Deering, First Secretary of
the British Embassy, announced to The
Associated Press that the British proto-
col had just been signed and that sigma
ture OF the Italian and German protocols
would follow in the order named
The Italian protocol was signed at 11:50
and the German protocol at 1910 o'clock.
the presence of Baron Sternburg at the
White House musicale delaying a final
close to the negotiations until after
midnight.
Mr.. Bowen signed duplicate for Ven
ezuela, Sir Michael Herbert for Great
Britain, Signor Mayer Des Planches for
Italy and Baron Speck Won Sternburg
for Germany. Immediately on the sign
ing of the last protocol cables were dis
patched TO London, Berlin and Rome an
nouncing the fact 1t is expected that
the commanders of the blockading fleet
within the next twenty four hours will
receive their orders to withdraw their
vessels a. once.
BY the provisions of these preliminary
xxThi nh
than three weeks of constant negotia-
tions, Venezuela makes two distinct
gains. the immediate raising of a block
ade from which she has been suffering
cor 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 five thousand
five hundred pounds EACH Great Britain
receiving her payment on the signature
of the protocol and Germany and Italy
within thirty or sixty days from date, in
addition will receive five monthly in
stallments until the full amount paid her
in advance aggregates $4,000. AS a
guaranty for the satisfaction of their
claims Mr.. Bowen pledges the allies a
share with the other creditor nations in
thirty per cent of the customs receipts
of the two ports or La Guaira and Porto
Cabello. This percentage will be set aside
beginning March 1 and retained in the
Venezuelan treasury until The Hague
tribunal decides whether it shall be dis
tributed without preference among all the
claimant nations, or whether the allied
powers of Great Britain, Germany and
Italy shall receive preferential payments.
Italy by her protocol gains immediate
payment of her first class of claims with
out further adjudication, as soon as the
joint commission at Caracas shalt have
passed on the remainder of her claims. In
round numbers the adjudiCated italian
claims amount to s560000, from which
will be subtracted the $2T 900 to be paid
her sixty days from the signature of her
first protocol.
Mr. Bowen has dispatched a brief
cablegram to President Castro. informing
him of the signature of the protocols pro-
viding for the immediate raising of the
blockade.