Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-09
PROTOCOLS ARE UNDER WAY
Allied Ministers Spend Day Preparing
Papers in Venezuelan Trouble.
DOCUMENT SATISFIES BOWEN
CRstrO's Envoy Asks Only Slight
Changes In Instrument Presented
by Sir Michael Herbert for
His Inspection.

WASHINGTON, Feb. Representatives
OF the allies are busily engaged preparing
the protocols referring to The Hague the
question Of preferential treatment in the
settlement Of their claims against Vene-
zuela.
They are in constant communication with
their governments on this subject. and are
anxious to cover every detail which should
be in al instrument of the character.
Wishes to sign All in Day.
Mr.. Bowen is anxious that the protocols
should be identical so far as practicable
and is also directing his efforts to get them
signed on the same day.
According to instructions from his home
government, Sir Michael Herbert has pre-
pared the draft of a protocol which he
submitted to Mr.. Bowen today. It was the
,srst of the three which had been prepared
by the allied ministers and was most salts
factory to Venezuela's representative, he
finding only one or two places where he felt
called on to suggest any changes He was
convinced that the ambassador had made
every effort to bring the vexatious matter
to a close and to arrange a protocol which
would be mutually satisfactory.
The Italian ambassador, Sgnor Mayor
Des Planches, was at Mt Bowen's apart
ments on two occasions today with refer
ence to the terms Of the protocol and
Baron Spec Won Sternberg worked diligently
on the German protocol. He saw Mr..
Bowen regarding some feature of the in
strument.
Mr.. Bowen continues optimistic Of an
early settlement and the early raising of
the blockade. He Is confident no perplex-
ing complications will now intervene, and
1t will not be long until the whole ques-
tion is settled in its primary stages. the
raising Of the blockade, the arbitration Of
the question Of preferential preferment and
the arrangements for the settlement of the
claims themselves. includlng those of both
the allied and Of the unaliied powers.
Terms OF Protocol Announced.
The British protocol provides for the
reference of the contention Of the allies for
preferential treatment to The Hague for
settlement, for the payment by Venezuela
to Great Britain of s5,5Oo cash and for the
immediate raising Of the blockade. The
adjudication OF the claims and the collec-
tion of the 80 per cent out Of which they
are to be paid has been left for the second
protocol.
Italy wishes to have inserted in its
protocol an article providing for a change
in the treaty OF amity with Venezuela so as
to include the favored nation" clause such
as other powers possess
Mr.. Bowen has explained that while he
is willing to use HIS influence to secure
this. he can do nothing more in the protocol
than recommend 1t, as the matter is en-
tirely irrelevant to the present controversy.
There are also other provisions in the
| Italian protocol which do not meet the
| approval Of Mr.. Bowen, and the Italian
ambassador has cabled to Rome for per-
| mission to withdraw them.
Regarding the German protocol little is
known except that It is along the general
! lines of the other two. Several changes
have been made in 1t since yesterday and
| other changes are likely. 1t is understood
that the German protocol will be somewhat
shorter and more precise than the British
/ and probably will not contain more than
eight articles. 1t will provide for an initial
payment Of the same amount as those made
to Italy and Great Britain. But Italy will
| agree to receive the cash thirty days after
| the signing of the protocols.
The fact developed today that some of
! the unallied claimant powers are consd-
ering sharing the expense which Venezuela
will be put to in Carrying its case to The
Hague. since a decision will AFFECT their
! claims.