Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-03
MR.. BOWEN OBJECTS
His Views Communicated to
British Ambassador.
THE ALLIES PROPOSAL
WANT BURDEN OF MAINTAINING
BLOCKADE ARBITRATED.
It is Likely to Be Bone Of Contention
With the Venezuelan
Congress.
THE ALLIES PROPOSAL

Although 1t is stated officially that the
changes made in the Venezuelan protocols
by the allied powers are not of a char
acter to arouse serious opposition on Mr.
| Bowen's part, 1t Is learned that there is at
least one Of great Importance which may
require very serious consideration before
| it is accepted
In the original form the protocols pro-
vfded for the submission to The Hague
tribunal of the simple, bare question, Are
powers that employ force to secure the
payment OF an international debt entitled
to first payment Of their debts or prefer
| ential treatment in comparison with other
creditor powers which do not employ
| force?"
A decision Of that question In the affir-
native would involve the payment by Vene-
| zuela of all of the debts due England Ger
many. and Italy before a single cent could
| be paid out Of the customs revenues to
! powers like France, the United States.
Spain. Belgium and others. which were
content to arrange for the payment Of their
claims by peaceable process.
Now the allied powers-England, Ger
| many and Italy-perhaps in anticipation
| Of unfavor able verdict at The Hague,
have proposed this amendment: That in
| the event the decision of the tribunal Is
against preferential treatment of the allied
powers the tribunal then shall take up
| and consider these questions: First, should
| Venezuela be required to pay the allies
| the expense of the blockade of Venezuelan
| ports maintained by them, and. second. IL
SO. what sum of money shall be paid and
| under what conditions?
| 1t is feared that this proposition NAV
| arouse storm of opposition in Venezuela.
| where the congress is already becoming
very restive and can scarcely be kept in
| line by the executive to secure the execu-
| ton of the protocols drawn here by Mr..
| bowen
| customary in fixing the indemnity to be
paid the victorious nation to include just
| such expenses as those incurred in
| blockade; but this is probably the first
| time that the proposition has been ad-
vanced as suitable where actual war did
| not exist.
The blockade lasted little over two
| months and included the services Of a
! dozen warships in. that time, which would
| involve an expense of certainly not less
than $2oo.00o Off the whole; SO that this
considerable item is likely to be a bone
of contention for long time.
Meeting With Ambassadors.
At the British, embassy this morning oc-
Cured "a joint conference between Mr..
Bowen, the British and Italian ambassa-
doris and the German first secretary. The
meeting began at IL o'clock and lasted an
| hour and half Mr.. Bowen presented his
reply to the amendments which the allies
had proposed to his original draft protocol.
| He accepted several changes of phraseol-
| ogy in the convention, but informed the
other negotiatorS that under no circum-
stances would he accept the insertion of Il
new article providing that Venezuela shall
| pay the costs of the blockade in case the
| decision at The Hague be adverse to pref
erential treatment 1t agreed that
| Mr.. Bowens objections and arguments
| should be cabled at once to London, Ber-
lin and Rome. 1t is not expected that an
| answer will reach here before Wednesday.
In the meantime Mr.. Bowen will go to
| New York for several days rest.
Text of the Protocol.
The text of the draft protocol is as fol-
| lows:
| Italy, Great Britain and Germany,
| through their respective representatives 1T
| Washington His Excellency Mobile Ed
! monde Mayor des Planches, commander of
| the Order Of s. S. Maurice and Lazarus
and the Crown of Italy, ambassador ex-
traordinary and plenipotentiary; His FIX
| cellency Sir Michael H. Herbert X. c. NJ.
G., c. B., ambassador extraordinary and
plenipotentiary and Baron Speck
| Sternburg, envoy extraordinary and minis
ter plenipotentiary, have agreed upon and
| signed the following protocol with Herbert
| w. Bowen, the plenipotentiary of Vene-
zuela:
Article I. The question as to whether
or not Italy, Great Britain and Germany
are entitled to preferential treatment IN
the payment of their claims against Vene-
blockaded the ports of Venezuela so as
| to compel her to make a settlement with
them shall be submitted for final decision
to the tribunal at The Hague. Venezuela
having agreed to set aside 80 per cent OF
the customs revenues of La Guira and
| Puerto Cabello for the payment of the
claims of all nations against Venezuela,
the tribunal at The Hague shall decide
how the said revenues shall be distributed
among. the said nations and it's decision
shall be final.
Article II. The facts on which shall
depend the decision of the questions stated
in article l shall be ascertained in such
manner as the tribunal may determine.
ARTICLE Ill The Car of Russia shall
be invited to name and appoint three ar
bitratOrS to constitute the court that Is
to determine and settle the questions sub
mitted to it, under and by virtue of this
protocol.
1.-THE court shall meet on the first day of
September, 1903, and shall render its de-
cision within six months thereafter.
ARTICLE ". The proceedings shall be car
ried on in the English language. Except
as herein otherwise stipulated the pro-
cedure shall be regulated by The Hague
convention of July %. 1899.
ARTICLE v. The court shall decide how,
when and by whom the costs Of this arbi-
tration shall be paid
Article vi. Any nation having claims
against Venezuela may join as party in
the arbitration provided for by this proto-
col.
Mr.. Bowen's Position.
During the session Mr.. Bowen submitted
the following letter to the British ambassa-
dor in reply to amendments suggested by
the allied powers:
Dear Sir Michael: Your amendments
leave unchanged about nine-tenths of the
articles Of my draft protocol. 1 infer,
therefore, that you and your colleagues ac-
cept all Of my said protocol except the re-
naming one-tenth. The nine-tenths on
which we all agree state substantially and
clearly the subjects decided to submit
to The Hague tribunal, and would In them
selves constitute very fair and equitabl
protocol. Some OF your amendments am
willing, however. to accept.
IT see no objection whatever to leaving
out of article L the words by reason OF
the fact that they blockaded the ports OF
Venezuela 80 as to compel her to make
a settlement with them nor to substitute
ing the words divided between the block -
aiding powers on one hand and the creditor
power on the other hand. for my words
sdiafrfhufed aiming the said uatfona, TkA