The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-17
PIQUEAT BOWEN'S MElHO DS
SOME REVELATIONS IN THE
BRITISH Blue BOOK,

ing raise information for the British
Minister Through w. w. Russell, Sec
rotary of she United States legation
Under Castro's Thumb.
London, Feb. ia blue book on the
Venezuelan dispute was issued this
evening. The most interesting dispatch
In the book from an American point of
view is an official letter from the for
mer British minister at Caracas, w. H.
D. Haggard, to Foreign Minister Lans-
downe, dated Trinidad, December 80.
concerning the alleged illegal detention
Of the British schooner Harry Troop by
the Venezuelan government in an un-
healthy place from May to November,
1902, whereby the crew were decimated
by dysentery.
Mr.. Haggards says in this letter:
Il regret to say that it would appear
that 1 placed too much faith on the
complete accuracy of the statements Of
the secretary of the United States lega-
tton, w. w. Russell, as to the improve
ment In the condition of the Harry
Troop, etc., when he saw her. These
statements may probably be accounted
for by the facts which appear undoubt-
ed, that Mr.. Bowen was most anxious,
for reasons best known to himself, to
represent the conduct of the Venezuelan
authorities in the most favorable light
possible, and that he had inspired his
subordinate in the same direction. To
put it briefly Mr. Russell did not dare
to say a word outside the legation con-
trary to President Castros mode of pro-
ceeding."
Another noteworthy dispatch is Sir
Michael Herbert's report to Minister
Lansdowne on his disagreement with
Mr.. Bowen, dated January 20. The Brit
ish ambassador says in this report:
"The Italian ambassador, the German
charge d'affaires and 1 called tonight
on Mr.. Bowen. I informed him that
we were forced to reckon with public
opinion in England and that it might
be necessary to fall back on the inter-
national tribunal at The Hague. We
were unable to obtain a satisfactory
answer from Mr.. Bowen who was very
obdurate. We ultimately made a state
ment in reply in the following terms:
I object to paying first the claims of
the allied powers and the claims of the
other nations afterwards because:
Firstly, think 1t is unjust, unfair and
Illegal to tie the hands of the said other
nations for q period Of five or six years
that it would take to pay the claims of
the allied powers. Secondly, if rec
ognize brute force alone can be re-
spected in the collection of claims I
should encourage the said other nations
to use force also. Thirdly, if the allied
powers wanted preferential treatment
they should have asked for it at the
beginning"
Mr. Bowen added, however that he
was willing to grant months prefer
ence. This is the only mention In the
blue book of the dispute between Sir
Michael Herbert and Mr. Bowen.
The beginning of the blue book is TAX
en- up with lengthy afidavits from
British subjects in support of their
claims against Venezuela for compensa-
tion for outrages and Venezuela's coun-
ter protests with regard to the case of
the conversation between Foreign Min
lister Lansdowne. and the German min
lister, Count Wolff-Metrernich, July 8
last, ON the subject or Anglo German
cooperation. In the course of this
conversation Lord Lansdowne said:
We should be quite ready to confer
with the German government with a
view to joint action"
Germany on August suggested
Joint naval demonstration. The British
admiralty officials expressed the opin-
ion that the best form for this Demon
stratfon would be blockade. The seiz-
ure of the Venezuelan gunboats was
suggested by Great Britain. This, with
the other details Of the aggression, was
submitted for Germany's approval by
Lord Lansdowne on October 22
The British foreign minister on No
vember II instructed Sir Michael Her.
bert to put the British case before the
United States government. Secretary
Hay, in reply, stated that his govern
ment, although it regretted that the
European governments should use force
against Central and South American
ports, could not object to their taking
steps to obtain redress for the injuries
suffered by their subjects, provided that
no acquisition of territory was contem-
plated"
The blue book in general covers the
ground already known. 1t gives minute
details of the British grievances against
Venezuela from the month of March,
1901, to the time of the signing of the
protocol, the salient features being the
persistent endeavor to get President
Roosevelt to arbitrate and the minute
nature of the British German agree
ment. President Roosevelt's reply de-
cllning to arbitrate and urging refer
ence to The Hague tribunal contains
the following sentence:
After thorough consultation with
all the powers concerned, during which,
the president found an honorable spirit
of candor and mutual consideration an
imating every one of them, he has been
greatly gratified to learn that, in the
event of his not undertaking the impor-
tant duty which the powers invited him
to take, they would all be willing to ac-
cept reference to the international
tribunal at The Hague"
Preliminary Yale Debate.
At the prelinlinary debating trials