Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-02-06
Minister Bowen and British
Ambassador Disagree.
B0wen's Stand for Venezuela Not Pleasing
to Great Britain.

Washington, Feb. 6.-Confirmation
of the London dispatch of yesterday,
to the effect that Bowen and the Brit
ish ambassador at their interview on
Monday, had somewhat heated argu-
ment was obtained here today.
Indeed, it is stated that should the
character of the cablegrams that the
British ambassador has been sending
to his government regarding the atti-
tude of Minister Bowen. become public
the country would be furnished with a
sensation of diplomatic incidents.
1t is the opinion of the Venezuelan
regotiators, other than the British am
bassador, that the latter is directly
responsible in the abrupt breaking off
of the negotiations with Mr.. Bowen.
1t is the opinion in official circles
here that Minister Bowen has an abso-
Lutte right, acting for Venezuela, of
course, to object to President Roose-
velt's acting as arbitrator To do so
would cause pain to Mr.. Bowen, whose
admiration for Mr.. Roosevelt is well
known, but he feels obliged to keep
wOll in mind that he is here, not as an
American, but as representative of
Venezuela.
The British ambassadors conduct
has resulted in several important de-
tails of the momentuous conference
of Monday last leaking out, and these
are substantiated now by the other ne
gotiators present.
1t seems that when the British am
bassador, who took the lead at this
conference, had finished reading the
cablegram of Lord Lansdowne for a 20
and 10 per cent division of the custom
receipts of Porto Cabello and La Quay
IA between the allies and the other
claimant nations respectively, Mr..
Bowen at once remarked in an en-
phatic way that the proposition was
but another scheme to trick Venezuela
into abetting an alliance against her
for six years and probably longer. He
added that he would not consent to
any scheme for continuing the triple
alliance one day longer than he was
forced to.
A diplomat stated afterward: at
was Mr.. Bowen who exploded a bomb
shell the moment the proposition was
made"
Charges that Great Britain was en-
deavoring secretly to continue her al
lance with Germany was resented by
the British ambassador, though he
showed no i'll feeling at the confer
ence.
At the conference, it is said. he sent
hlpOraDn n | tot 1.
was displeased with the conduct of Mr.
Bowen, and that if it were left to him
to decide he would not continue nego-
tiations with him. He expressed to his
conferees of the diplomatic corps the
greatest indignation that an ambassa-
dor from the coast of st. James should
be so treated.
On the other hand, both the Italian
ambassador and the German minister,
have taken occasion on several times
since the Monday conference that Bow
en- had treated all the negotiators with
uniform courtesy and surprising gener-
osity throughout the negotiations. and
only yesterday both of these diplomats
called and expressed thanks for his
consideration of them.
"Mr. Bowen must stand up for Vene-
2uela,' it was explained, "and if he did
not he would forfeit our respect"
Another feature of the last twenty
four hours has been the receipt of an
exceedingly tart cablegram from Lord
Lansdowne at the British embassy.
The cablegram, it is stated, went so
far as to remind the British ambassa-
dor that he was here to obey orders.