Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-11
PRAISE FOR BOWEN
In His Recent Work in Settling
Venezuela Case.
European Kickers Could Have Ar
ranged Matters, Had They Tried.
Understood That Bowen Will Receive
Merited Promotion.

Washington, May 10.-HoW Great
Britain, Germany and Italy, for the
asking, could have secured from Nene-
zuela preferential treatment in the set
tIemcnt of their claims had they asked
in time, and thereby been relieved of
the necessity of an appeal to The
Hague, is told in the Blue Book which
Herbert W. Bowen, who acted as
Nenczuea's plenipotentiary in the
peace negotiations at Washington, has
prepared containing the correspondence
and cabIegrams relating to the Nene-
zulan protocols. 1t shows that Presi-
dent Castro conferred on Mr.. Bowen
two sets CT powers, one authorizing
him to conduct negotiations exclusively
with the representatives of the allied
powers, Great britain, Germany and
Italy, ard the other granting him full
authority to effect settlement, with
the representatives of all nations haV-
ing claims against Venezuela. The
Italian and british ambassadors and
the German charge. accepted without
question Mr.. BoWen's letters empoW-
e"ng him to negotiate with all the
creditor nations. In so doing they
waived ut the outset the question of
separate or preferential treatment for
their government and this point WaS
not raised Until the peace protocols
were practically ready for signature.
The book makes public for the first
time the text of Mr.. BoWen's letter of
Feb. 90, to Sir Michael Herbert, the
British ambassador, which for a time
threatened to break off negotiations. 1t
is as follows:
Il have given due consideration to
your governments proposition that
two-thirds of the 30 per cent. of the
customs receipts of Laguira and Porto
Cabcilo be given to the allied powers
and that the remaining third be paid
to the peace powers. That proposition
| must decline. | cannot accept cvca
in principle that preferential treatment
can he rightly obtained by blOckadcs
and bombardmcnts. 1t would be abso-
lutely offensive to modern civilization
to recognize that principle and to in
corporate it into the law of nations,
as it would have to be if the allied
powers and the peace powers should
agree to it sand acknowledge it. Fur
thcrmorc that proposition is objection
able because it would keep the allied
powers 'lilsu LOT ii DeTlbu III over SIN
years. Venezuela cannot, ! am sure,
be expected to encourage the mainte-
nance of alliances against her. ON this
side Of the water we maintain peace
alliances.
'NoW. as the question of preferential
treatment is the only one ON which we
nave not agreed, / hereby propose that
we leave that question to The Hague.
What we have already agreed upon We
can hold to and stand by. We need
only to add to it. that we have decided
to submit the question of preferential
treatment to The Hague. If this prop
csition is arccptcd-lnd | do rot see
how it can be declined there would be
of course, no reason to continue tho
blockade"
Sir Michael commended a rctractior
of the entire note but the powers re-
fused to comply with the demand. The
correspondence shows that thercupol
negotiations on the part of the allies
with Mr.. Bowen were broken off an'
that President Roosevelt was invited
to arbitratc the entire matter.
Ncnczuela'S report WAS not part,
to the arbitration invitation PrcSidcn
Roosevelt, but his view respecting i
appears from the following note Whic!
he sent several weeks ago to the Brittle
ambassador:
You never gave me Il copy of You
note of Feb. 6. to Mr.. Hay, and | hnV
never possessed Il copy of it. | can
not be bound by what you wrote to Nj
Hay on Feb. 6, for if | rcmemb"
rightly. your letter to him was pf0po
Sition that the question of prcfcrcntil
treatment be left to the President o
the United States to decide. That pro
position opposed the moment you
said letter was read to me. There III
matter ended.
Mr.. Bowen left Washington for N"\
York. today and, Saturday. he will sal
for Caracas. Secretary Hay congratu
lated Mr.. Bowen on the successful com
pletion of his mission and his Spicnu
work ut Washington
Cordial notes of COnCratuiHtiOn ais
were exchanged between Mr.. Bow"
and the Italian. British and Gcrma
ambassadors. 1t is understood tina
while Mr.. Bowen will remain a"crcdlt"
as minister to Venezuela for the pres
cnt it is the intention of the admins
tration on the completion of his Sc:
vices at The Hague, where he viii <
IN September as one of the aSSOcLtt
counsel for the peace powers. to rccoG
nize his work by promoting him to
considerably more important diplomat
post.