The Saint Paul globe., 1903-02-01
ARE WAR CLAIMS pREFEREnr1A1a

Minister Bowen's proposition that all nations shall
share alike in their settlement of Venezuelan claims has
been rejected by the allied powers toto and the dpo
matte situation grows acute.
Because the allied powers Germany England and
ltay-went after their Venezuelan claims with battle
ships and measures they their claims are
preferential the claims Of the United States France
Belgium Denmark, Holland SPAIN Norway and Sweden
which employed the pacific of treaty and nego
tation.
President Castro authorized Minister Bowen to turn
per of the Venezuelan customs revenue for
the settlement of foreign claims and allow claimant ma
hons to superntend the collection of The pur
of the Venezuelan government as stated by Minis
ter Bowen is to all claimant nations alike and allow
all to share equally with preferred claims preferred
creditors
To this proposition, Germany, England and Italy
stand fatty opposed, the ground that because they
have gone to the trouble and expense of war, their
claims should be preferred should be paid first out
of the 80 cent of customs revenue before the ca
Of the other nations considered In other words the
ronenton of the allied powers is that makes pre-
ferred claim, and that force stands premium in the
Rffars of nations.
This contention sets premium war, and places
handicap arbitration and peaceful settlement 1t
gives bombardment and buchery higher position under
the law OF nations, than appeal to The Hague tribunal
The French government has already rtinated infor-
maly that it will stand for such an interpretation
and without question that the United States will
not 1he bTltlSn ambassador at Washington the
situation and has written home to his government the
prospective of an attempt on the part of the
allied to enforce the doctrine of preferred war
claims He foresees, first that France will up pro-
test; and second that the United States Belgium Hol-
land Denmark Norway and Sweden will join in the pro-
fest on the ground that such Interpretation would
prejudice their equal rights and interests in the settle
ment Of their Venezuelan claims.
Informally the French have set forth their view Of
their rights in this First, pacific settlement is at
least entitled equal treatment with war settlement
Ii not then international law becomes an incentive to
war, as the nation which first appeals secures SUI
peror rights. The attitude of the allied powers sup
ports the dangerous principle that resort to war is prefer
able to efforts to maintain peace Second the Frklch
secured from Venezuela treaty arrangement for settle
ment prior to the date of the measures of the powers
and this settlement antedaes the rights arising from the
appeal to force.
The United States is situated much the same as
France This country through regular tribunal the
Venezuelan claims commission secured Judgment against
Venezuela for considerable sum which Venezuela has
been paying from its revenue i'll instaments
Can Germany and the other powers override these
settlements and exhaust the resources of Venezuela to
the claims of peaceful powers? There no qucs-
ton that such interpretation abhorrent as is not
only the idea of peace but to all sense of justice will
be accepted by the retion that stand for
full settlement
len centuries or century ago, the doctrine
Of preferential claims would have been accepted
But the twentieth century certainly stand for such
doctrine War have no preference over peace in an
age of freedom and enlightenment The doctrine that
force superior peaceful settlement have no sup
port the international law of twentieth century civil
zaton.
This present contention OF the powers looks like