Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-02-06
Minister Bowen and the British
Ambassador are Now at
Laueerheads.
TRAINMEN GAIN THEIR POINT
The Wife OF Professor Peck ol
Yale is Found Dead In
Park.
FIVE ARE KILLED IN BUILDING

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. g.
A confirmation of the London dis
patch of yesterday, to the effect that
Mr.. Bowen and the British ambassa-
dor. at their interview Monday, had
a somewhat heated argument, was OBJ
tanned here today. Indeed, 1t is stat
ed that should the character Of the
cablegrams that the British ambas-
sador has been sending to his gov
ernment regardind the attitude OF Min
lister Bowen become public the coun-
try would be furnished with sensa-
tional diplomatic incidents. 1t is the
opinion of the Venezuela negotia-
tors other than the British ambas-
sador, that the latter is directly re-
sponsible for the abrupt breaking on
of negotiations with Mr.. Bowen. 1t
is the opinion in official circles here
that Minister Bowen has an absolute
right acting for Venezuela of course,
to object to President Roosevelt's act
ing as arbitrator. To do SO would
couse pain to Mr.. Bowen. whose ad-
miration for Mr.. Roosevelt is well
known. but he feels obliged to keep
well in mind the fact that he is here
not as an American. but as a repre-
sentative of Venezuela. The British
ambassadors conduct has resulted in
several important details of the mo-
<xf
leaking out. and these are now sub
stantiated by the other negotiators
present II seems that when the Brit
ish ambassador. who took the lead at
this conference. had finished reading
the cablegram of Lord Lansdowne.
containing his last proposition for a
twenty and ten per cent division OF
the customs receipts Of Porto Cabel-
10 and La Guayra between the allies
and the other claimant nations re
spectively Mr. Bowen at once remark
ed i'm an emphatic tone that the pro-
position was but another scheme TO
trick Venezuela into abetting an al
lance against her for six years and
probably longer He added that he
would not consent to any scheme TO-
continuing the triple alliance one day
longer than he was forced tc.
A diplomat stated afterward: 1T
was Mr.. Bowen who exploded the
bomb shell the moment the PROPOSE
tion was made" Charges that Great
Britain was endeavoring secretly 10
continue her alliance with Germany
were resented by the British ambas-
sador, though he showed no i'll feel
ing at the conference. After the con-
ference it is said he sent a cablegram
to London stating tina. he M\ dis
pleased with the conduct Of Mr. Bow
en- and that if it were left tu lin TO
decide he would not continue nego-
tiations with him. He expressed to
his confereers of the diplomatic corps
the greatest indignation that an a.
bassador from the court of st. James
should be so treated. Cn the other
hand both the Italian ambassador and
German minister have taken occas-
ion to say several times since the
Monday conference, that Bowen has
treated all negotiators with uniform
courtesy and surprising generosity
throughout the negotiations and only
yesterday both these diplomats call
ed and expressed thanks for his con-
sideration.
Mr.. Bowen must stand up for Ven
ezuela" it was explained, IF he did
not, he would forfeit our respect"
Another feature of the last twenty
four hours has been the receipt OF an
exceedingly tart cablegram from Lord
Lansdowne at the British embassy.
The cable. it is stated, went SO far
as TO remind the British ambassador
that he was here to obey orders.
Emphasis continues to be laid on
the convention that the point the al
lies now agree to arbitrase is not
preferential, but separate treatment
of their claims.
At the icreisu office hare tonight,
it was said that the officials regard.
1t was sa:s that the officials regard.
ed the Her,sf--Bowcn incident rs
closed, that they did not consi:ler II
closed, that they did not consider 1.
to be the slightest bar to a satisfac
tory solution of the Venezuelan ques.
tion.