Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-02-14
: :
SIGNED.
Preferential Treatment to Be
Referred to The Hague Ar
bitration Tribunal.
BLOCKADE WILL Be RAISED.
Great credit Due Mr.. Bowen for the
Satisfactory Adjustment of tn.
Differences-Neeotiators Exchange
Congratulations.

Congratulations.
Washington, Feb. 14.-Herbert w.
Bowen, Venezuela's representative III
the peace negotiations at Washing
ton, last night signed with each Of the
allies representatives here a proto-
col providing for the immediate rats
ing of the Venezuelan blockade and
for the reference of the question IL
preferential treatment of the claims
of the allies against Venezuela 10
The Hague arbitration tribunal. The
final formalities occurred at the Brit
ish embassy. At 1870 O'Clock Mr..
Herbert Dering, first secretary of the
British embassy, announced that the
British protocol had just been signed
and that signature of the Italian anil
German protocols would follow in the
order named.
@ The Italian protocol was signed at
1850 and the German protocol at
1910 o'clock, the presence Of Baron
Sternberg at the White House must
Gale delaying a final close to the ne
gotiations until after midnight.
The British protocol was in Eng
lish, the Italian in Italian and German
and the German If German and Eng
lish. Mr.. Bowen signed in duplicate
for Venezuela, Sir Michael Herbert
for Great Britain, Signor Mayor des
Planehes for Italy and Baron Spec
Won Sternburg for Germany Imme-
diately on the signing of the last pro-
tocol cables were dispatched to Lon
don, Berlin and Rome announcing the
fact It is expected that the comman-
ders of the bleekading fleet within
the next "a hours will receive their
orders to withdraw their vessels at
once.
BY the provisions of the preliminary
protocols, which have required more
than three weeks of constant negotia-
lions, Venezuela makes two distinct
gains, the immediate raising of a
blockade from which she had been
suffering for some weeks and the re.
turn of all her vessels, war and mer-
chant, which have been captured by
the allied fleet.
Great Britain, Germany and Italy
receive advance payments of 95,5o0
each, Great Britain receiving her pay
ment on the signature of the protocol
and Germany and Italy within 80 and
60 days from date. Germany, in adj
dition, will receive five monthly pay
ments until the full amount paid her
in advance aggregates $4,000. AS
a guaranty for the satisfaction Of thu
claims, Mr.. Bowen pledges the allies
a share with the other creditor ma
lions in 80 per cent of the customs
receipts Of the two ports Of La Guaira
and Porto Cabello. This percentage
will be set aside, beginning March l.,
and retained in the Venezuelan treas
ury until The Hague tribunal shall
decide whether it shall be distributed
without preference among the claim.
ant nations or whether the allied pow
ers of Great Britain, Germany and
Italy shall receive preferential pay
ments
Italy, by her protocol, gains imme
date payment of her first-class claims
without further adjudication as soon
as the joint commission at Caracas
shall have passed on the remainder
of her claims. In round numbers the
adjudicated Italian claims amount to
$3.50, 900, from which will be sub
tracted the s27,500 to be paid her 60
days from the signature of her first
protocol The Italian ambassador
also has secured for his government
the insertion in his protocol of an
agreement that Venezuela will insert
in her treaty with Italy the favored
nation clause possessed by the other
nations
Great Britain has left her protocol
unchanged since it was approved by
the London foreign Office some days
ago. 1t is stipulated by the protocols
that the claims of the creditor nations
shall be adjudicated by joint commits
sions, to consist in each instance OF
Venezuelan, representative of the
claimant power, and in case of a dis
agreement an umpire, to be named by
the president of the United States.
The protocols. in providing for ref
erence of the question of preferential
treatment to The Hague, do not state
in detail the methods Of procedure by
which the case is to be laid before the
tribunal. This will be done in a Sec
md set of protocols. the preparation
lf which will begin at once. II is
provided however. that not Venezuela
alone, but all the other creditor ma
lions, shall be permitted to appear
with her before the tribunal in oppo-
sition to the allies for preferential
payment.
Upon the signing af the protocols
congratulations were exchanged by
the four negotiators.
Mr.. Bowen then dispatched brief
cablegram to President Castro, In
forming him of the signature of the
protocols providing for the immediate
raising OF the blockade.
The British protocol consists Of nine
articles and the others are practically
OF the same length. All provide for
the renewal OF existing treaties OF
amity and commerce with Venezuela.
The custom receipts to be set aside
for the powers pending the decision
OF The Hague are to be deposited in
the Bank Of England at Caracas.