Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-23
NOT YET RETURNED
Captured Venezuelan Vessels
Are Still Held.
A HITCH SOMEWHERE
ASSURANCES GIVEN By TIL
BRITISH AMBASSADOR.
Appeal to Mr.. Bowen From Sufferers
Of Trinidad - Germany's
Request Refused.

returned as yet and that there was con-
siderable confusion in the public mind as to
the reading Of the proto6pls on that point.
In the absence of the texts of the agree
ments. which were mailed and have not
arrived, President Castro does not know
whether he should send his crews to Trit,i-
dad, where some of the ships are being
held, or whether he should insist upon their
delivery in Venezuelan waters.
Meanwhile, Secretary Moody, at the in
stance Of Secretary Hay, has consented to
the use of the gunboat Marietta to trans
port the officers and men necessary to m an
the captured ships from Caracas to Trlni-
dad, and orders to that effect have been
dispatched to Commander Ddehl.
British Ambassadors Assurances.
Minister Bowen has received several
cablegrams from President Castro regard
ing the action Of the allies in retaining the
ships, and is evidently growing restive at
what he. considers may be q breach Of
trust. The allies representatives here how
ever, take the position that the ships will
be returned as soon as the necessary for
malities have been enacted. The British
ambassador has been to see Secretary Hay
regarding the matter, and assured him that
the London government was doing every
thing possible to expedite the ships return,
cooperation Of the admiralty in that effort.
Dispatches, however, from Trinidad and
Caracas fail to note any steps toward that
end on the part Of the allied fleets, and 1t
is feared that possibly some miSunderstand-
ing Of the provisions of the protocol may
exist in the minds Of the fleet commander,
and that that is causing apparent delay.
This Mornings Conference.
After a conference with. high officials of
the Washington government this morning,
lasting for more than an hour, Mr.. Bowen
announced that he would call on the Italian
and British ambassadors and the German
envoy tomorrow and inform them he was
ready to proceed with the drafting Of the
other protocols, namely, those providing for
the procedure to be followed In referring
the preferential question to The Hague.
Minister Bowen Is desirOus ito finish his
work here as promptly as possible and is
now simply waiting the pleasure Of the
other claimant nations.
He will submit convention to the allies
representatives here and as soon as 1t is
signed he will make his plans to return to
Caracas. II the other creditor nations wish
to arrange for the settlement of their claims
they will have to show more anxiety than
they have in the past few weeks.
Request, Not Demand.
Regarding the request Of Germany that
Venezuela pay to her the $500 before
March 15, which was the time agreed upon
in the protocol, has expired, 1t was said to-
day that the question was taken up in the
friendliest spirit with Mr. Bowen by the
German envoy here, and, that it was not
made In the nature of a demand. German
citizens in Venezuela have made appeal to
the Berlin government fer prompt settle
ment Of their claims, and 1t was in their
behalf the request was made. Mr.. Bowen
Informed the German envoy when the re-
quest was conveyed to him yesterday that
having signed the peace protocols he was
no longer concerned with the matter, and
that If Germany wished the money the ap
peal must be made through the regular
channels. namely, through her representa-
tive at Caracas. III
His Intercession Wanted.
Minister Bowen has received a cable
gram signed by the Prize Sufferers, Trini-
dau," requesting his good Offices with Great
Britain in securing the return Of the prizes
taken by that country before the raising of
the blockade by the allied powers The ca
begram is as follows:
''All prizes returned by Germany and
Italy. Use kind influence with England.
Nearly all prizes belong to poor fishermen
who have lost all and are penniless here"
Minister Bowen sent a copy of the cable
Il y,
ambassador, requesting him to transmit 1t
to his government at his earliest convent
ence.
Promptly Defused.
The German government through its rep
resentative here, Baron Won sternburg, has
made request Of Mr.. Bowen for the i'm
mediate payment Of the $500 pounds which
it was stipulated in the protocol signed
February 13 should be paid within thirty
days from that date, as a preliminary to
the raising Of the blockade against Vene-
zuelan ports and the agreement to send the
question Of preferential Treatment of the
blockading nations to She Hague for de-
termination. Mr.. Bowen promptly declined
to accede to the request but Informed
Baron Sternburg that as provided in the
German representative At Caracas thirty
days from February Is, which would be on
the 18th of March.
Mr.. Bowen is in frequent consultation
with the French amba sSador, M. Jusse-
rand; the Spanish nainisEer, Senior Ojeda,
and the Belgian minister, Baron Moncheur,
In regard to the protocols that are in prepa-
ration for the settlement Of the claims of
the citizens of their countries against Yene-
zuela. Rough drafts of these Instruments
are already on their way by mail to the
European government Interested, but there
Mses she s In %
Bowen. The protoeols are expected to
reach their destinations tha latter part Of
this week. pending which no Anal steps
for their joint signature can be taken.
The American Claims.
LONDON. February 23-Asked by Sir
Cuthbert Quitter, unfoIist, In the house OF
commons today whether the government
had been officially Informed that the Ameri-
can claims against Venezuela are to be, paid
fully and forthsvteh II SoId o.. its equivalent,
while the British claims VIA have to await
the decision Of The Hague fourt Of arbitra-
ton, Under Foreign Secrdary Cranborne
repfief: -
sseur tnfornation ITO he eject that the
American claims VIII besdeaH with before
The Hague tribunal
Vessel Arrivx1 sz-
AT New York-Belgravia,. from Hamburg;
La Champagne, from Havrs.