Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-30
DUAL ALLIANCE NOW
France and This Country
Have Interests in Common.
CLAIMS ON VENEZUELA
OPPOSITION TO PREFERENTIAL
TREATMENT WANTED BY ALLIES.
Lord Lansdowne Informed by the
British Ambassador Of the Effect
Of Pressing the Demand.
CLAIMS ON VENEZUELA

No answer has yet come from the allied
powers to MI. Bowen's proposition relative
to ending the blockade Of Venezuela. The
British ambassador sent long cablegram
to Lord Landsdowne yesterday afternoon,
stating what might be expected In case
Great Britain and her two allies insisted
on preferential treatment for their claims.
The text Of the cablegram cannot. OF
course, be obtained. but it Is known that
1t informed the foreign Office that Minister
Bowen. in the event Of a rejection Of his
proposition, would call upon the represen-
tattves Of the other claimant powers in
Washington and state to them that Vene-
zuela was being forced by the triple alliance
to yield to plan which would seriously
affect the interests of France, Belgium,
Norway and Sweden, Spain, Denmark and
Holland and the United States.
When this step is taken it Is expected
that France aui perhaps the other claim
ant nations will make representations at
once to London. Berlin and Rome, protest
ing against any Interference with the pre-
vious arrangement she made with Vene-
zuela for the settlement of claims.
France Sounds This Government.
There Is reason to believe that the
French government has already sounded
the United States government to ascertain
how much in common there may be be-
tween their interests in Venezuela. 1t is
said that there Is a strong resemblance be-
tween the claims of the two nations; per-
haps enough to link them together in re-
ststance to any policy on the part of the
allies which would tend to destroy or i'm
pair those interests. For instance, the
United States has, through a regular tTi-
bunal, the Venezuelan claims commission.
secured judgment against Venezuela for a
considerable sum of money, which Venn-
zuela has been paying in installments. Re.
Gently these payments have been delayed,
ana L as the money comes In large part from
the Venezuelan customs the United States
may have very good legal right to protest
against any conduct on the part of tne
allies which will prevent it's debtor from
States. To draw the parallel France has,
by treaty and negotiations, obtained what
amounts to judgment against Venezuela,
and she claims that her debtor must not be
DESTROYED nor Venezuela's means Of meet
Ing her payments to France impaired, as
certainly will be the case by the adoption
Of the preferential treatment demanded by
the allies These considerations are tend
Ing to draw France and the United States
together in a policy that is likely to take
issue with that of the allies.
|. In Case Of Mr. Bowen's Failure.
Just how the Venezuelan question is to
get before The Hague in the event of Mr.
officials have already been giving some
thought to that matter It is inconceivable
to the administration that there should be
renewal Of hostilities on the Venezuelan
coast: that there shall be more putting on
OF the screws" no matter how Mr.. Bowen's
work shall turn out. So The Hague tri-
bunal comes naturally into sight as a port
OF safety. But to place a case before that
tribunal requires the laying down of GER
tain basic propositions of matters to be ar
bitrated and the Limitation to be placed on
the arbitration, and If the allies are un-
willing to agree upon simple a PROPOSE
ton now 1t is difficult to conjecture how
they can be brought together upon the
more complex and difficult proposition in
volved in an arbitration protocol.
For instance, one point upon which 1t un-
doubtedly would be very difficult to agree
would be the results of the present block
ade and the answer to the question whether
or not Venezuela might properly regard the
damages inflicted upon her as offsets to the
claims of the powers Mr.. Bowen already,
looking ahead. has prepared long list Of
such injuries inflicted upon Venezuela, and
that list grows with every days continu-
ance of the blockade, but from the tone Of
the representatives of the allies here It Is
quite certain that they would resist to the
utmost the presentation of any such off,
sets.
Conference With Baron Gevers.