The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-02-11
angry With MINISTER BOWEN.
Powers Decide TO Break off Negotia-
tions and appeal TO Hague
Tribunal.
they Want The PREFERENCE. !:
President Roosevelt Will Be Ask
ed TO Arbitrate Questions.
If He Declines, The Whole Natter viii Be
Before Hague Tribunal for Settlement.

Before Hague Tribunal for Settlement.
Washington, February 5.-Irritated
by the note which Minister Bowen,
Venezuela's representative, address
ed to the British ambassador on Mon
ady last refusing to accept the allies
proposal for a scheme of preferential
payments, by which Great Britain,
Germany and Italy were to receive 20
n per cent, and the remaining eight
creditors 10 per cent. of the customs
receipts of La Guayra and Porto Ca
bello, TIE allied Powers have instruct
ed their representatives here to sub
nit the question of preferential treat
ment for settlement to President
Roosevelt, and in the event than he
declines to act as arbitrator, to take7
this, and possibly the entire Venezue-
Ian controversy, to The Hague for
settlement, thereby breaking off nego-
tiations with Mr.. Bowen.
At 10 O'Clock tomorrow at the Brit
ish embassy, there will be conference
of the representatives of the allies
here. In view of the fact that the
! London Government is now taking the
lead in the negotiations, the British
ambassador will preside at this confer
ence. In the meantime he expects to
have an interview with the Secretary
of State, whom he will sound as to
the probability of the Presidents &C
ceptance Of the allies request. II IT
is found that President Roosevelt IS
not disposed to allow himself to be
dragged into the negotitions, the in
structions of the allies are such as to
permit them to forego the embarrass-
ment of rejection at the hands Of
Mr.. Roosevelt, and, instead Of making
known their wishes to him, steps will
be taken to draw up protocol with
Mr.. Bowen, for reference of the case
to The Hague, as suggested by him IN
his note of Monday. The British am
bassador was the first of the repre-
sentatives ito receive instructions to
this effect, and the matter was discuss
ed at the MONDAY conference between
the three representatives of the allies.
The announcement of the decision Of
the allies to abandon further negotia-
tions with Mr.. Bowen has not been re-
ceived with surprise by the few officials
Of the Washington Government who
have been advised of it. "The Hague
Tribunal said an official of the Ad-
ministration tonight, ''has all along
been kept. in sight as port of safety
in case the negotiations here were not
productive of final settlement. And
as for the suggestion that the Presi-
dent act as arbitrator, that has been a
favorable idea of the allies since the
beginning Of the trouble. -
Whether President Roosevelt will ac-
cept this invitation CT the allies is not
known. An official Of the Administra-
tion expressed his surprise tonight that
the allies would be willing to submit
this question to the President in view
| of the fact that their representatives
within the last few days have inform
ed them, by cable, that the President
views with disfavor the contention Of
the allies for preferential treatment.
The drafting of a protocol will, it is
expected, occupy some time, but it is
the understanding that upon the sub
mission of the matter either to the
President or to The Hague, the block
ade is to be raised at once. It devel-
oped today that during call Of Count
Quadt, the first secretary of the Ger
many embassy, upon Mr.. Bowen this
morning, the latter stated to him his
willingness to make to Germany and
Italy q cash payment Of e5, 500, or
( S27, 900 each. This was done because Of
Mr.. Bowen's action in the early part
of the negotiations in conceding to
Great Britain similar amount for
satisfaction of the alleged indignities
which the British Government claims
it's citizens have suffered in Venezuela.
This amount was named by the Brit.
ish ambassador.
Various intimations have leaked out
here regarding certain details of the
plan proposed by Mr.. Bowen and al
ready accepted by the allies for the
settlement of their claims against Ven
ezuela after the vexed question of pre-
ferential treatment shall have been de-
cided. The Associated Press is en-
abled to state in its entirety the plan
agreed upon: After the preferential
question has been settled, the adjudi-
cation of the claims of each of the
creditor nations is to be taken up by
separate commissions, one for each
claimant Power. These commissions
will each consist of a representative of
the creditor nation and a representa-
tive for Venezuela. In case of dis
agreement the King of Spain is, in
each instance, to appoint an arbiter.
It is expected that each claimant Pow
er will appoint its envoy at Caracas to
represent its commission, and Presi-
dnet Castro will delegate either the
Venezuelan minister for foreign affairs
or some other official of the foreign
Office as Veneuzela's representative.
Where the services of an arbiter are
needed the King of Spain will, in all
probability, select for this mission the
Spanish minister to Caracas, who is
recognized as an able diplomat.
After the claims have been adjusted
they are to be collected by the Vene-
zuelan officials from the customs re-
ceipts of the two ports of Porto Cabel-
10 and La Guayra, 80 per cent being
the amount which MI. Bowen and the
allies have agreed shall be set aside
for this purpose. In the event the
| Caracas Government permits thirty