The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-29
VENEZUELAN
MATTER FOCUSING
Representatives Of the Par
ties to the Dispute Hold
a Conference.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 28.-The
British and Italian ambassadors and
Count Quadt, the German charge daft
flares, called on Mr.. Bowen, Venezuelan
representative in the negotiations look
ing to a raising of the blockade and a
settlement Of the claims against Vene-
Zuela, tonight. 1t is believed that the
proposition was to present the claims
of the allies to preferential treatment In
payments over those nations which
have not eXerted physical pressure on
Venezuela.
The conference broke up at 1890
o'clock. 1t was made known that no
agreement had yet been reached for
the raising of the blockade and that
further word must be awaited from
Europe before this stage Of the negOti-
ations is passed. Details respecting
payments still remain to be adjusted
to the common satisfaction of all con-
cerned and it will be at least twenty
four hours longer before the blockade
can be removed. Mr.. Bowen said:
I'VE have been discussing tonight
certain points which need to be clearly
understood. These have been referred
to US for consideration and our Views
are now to be communicated at once
to Rome, London and Berlin
The further statement was made aft
er the conference that there is no foun-
was delaying the signing of the pre-
liminary protocol. The representa-
lions considered tonight emanated from
the London foreign Office.
Statement as to the Debt.
This afternoon Mr. Bowen gave out a
statement of the diplomatic debt of
Venezuela and the methods for its flu
ture adjustment. This debt amounted
on Dec. 81, 1901, to something over
$14.000,000 and consisted of claims
which had previously been adjusted
since that date owing to the almost
constant state of revolution which has
prevailed in Venezuela, no payments
have been made on the debt. Mr.. Bow
ems plan provides that 10 per cent OF
the customs receipts of all the VeneZu-
elan ports shall go toward the payment
of this debt. This arrangement, it is
stated, will interfere in nowise with the
plan Of Mr.. Bowen submitted to the
powers for the settlement of the -un-
adjudicated claims. For the payment
of the latter 80 per cent of the customs
duties of the two ports of Puerto Ca
bello and La Guaira have been offered
in pledge by Mr.. Bowen. These ports
were selected because they would be
the last to fall into the hands of the
revolutionists. Assurances have been
given the French government that 1T
shall receive fair treatment in the set
tlement of it's claims and that no pre-.
vious arrangements which it has made
with Venezuela should be interfered
with.
The publication by the London for
eign office of the fact that Great Brit
ain, and not Germany, sought the alli-
ance. against Venezuela, was brought
about by the German foreign office. 1t
is said that Germany had threatened
to publish the diplomatic exchanges
between the German and British for
eign offices unless Great Britain i'm
mediately should bear the responsible
ity for the alliance. This threat was
induced by the anti German feeling
aroused in the United States by events
in Venezuelan waters.
The Italian and British ambassadors
and the German charge d'affaires, at a
Joint conference today, agreed to cable
their government urging a prompt ac-
ceptance of Mr.. Bowen's last PROPOSE
tion to enable the lifting of the Ven
eZuela blockade at once. In this cable
gram it was suggested that the consid-
Grafton of the details of the proposition
| be postponed until after the signing of
the preliminary protocol.