Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-02-06
VENEZUELA CASE
MAY GO TO HAGUE
Though How 10 Get it There Is
Not Yet Quite Clear.
UNCLE SAM ON THE DEFENSIVE
fhou~h II Is Hoped No Trouble Will Come
to the United States as a Result of the
Complications, II Is Recommended
That Coast Defenses Be Strengthened.

Washington. Mr.. Bowen can
not adjust Venezuela's claims with
The allies the purpose is to have The
Hague arbitration tribunal pass on
them. But just how the Venezuelan
question is to get before The Hague
in the event of Mr.. Bowen failure
to adjust the differences is not quite
clear. 1t IS iEconceivable to the adj
ninistration that there SHOULD he
renewal of hostilities on the Vene-
suelan coast and more putting on
Of tie screws no matter how Mr.
Bowens work shall turn out so the
Hague tribunal naturally comes into
sight as port of safety. But to
place a case before the tribunal re-
quires the laying down of certain
basic propositions of matters to be
arbitrated and agreement on the
limitations to be placed on the arbi-
tration and 1t is difficulJ to conlec-
ture how all hands can be brought
together on the complex and diff
cult propositions involved in an ar
bitration protocol.
The British ambassador is said to
have sent long cablegram to Lord
Lans1owne stating what might be
expected in case Great Britain and
her allies insisted on the preferen-
tial treatment for the blockadin9
powers. The text of the cablagram
cannot he published, but it informed
the foreign Office that Mr.. Bowen,
in the event of refusal of his pro
position, would call upon the repre-
,entatives of the other claimant
powers in Washington and state to
Them that Venezuela was being
forced by a triple alliance to yield
20 a plan which would affect seri-
ously the interests of France. Eel
yium, Norway. Sweden, Spain, Den
mark, Holland and the United
States. When this step is taken it
S expected that France will make
representations at once to London,
Berlin and Rome protesting against
any interference with the previous
arrangements she has made with
Venezuela for the settlement of her
,laims. France may be joined in
ihis protest by the other claimant
nations.
A cablegram from Paris states
shat the foreign Office there has re-
,eived long ofi,ial advices giving
1etails of the rejection by the allies
of the proposal tha. France and
)ther countries receive equal treat
nent in the Venezuelan settlement.
The French officials had not doubt
ed that equal treatment would b.
recognized, and this unexpected
turn of events has caused much sur
prise and concern. For the present
it does not appear to be the purpose
Of the French au thorities to assume
an imperative position, but rather
to set forth what they regard as>the
manifest equities of the French po-
,ition. with the end in view to in
duce its further consideration and
acceptance. An official has said the
French position is based on two
essential principles. The first is that
a pacific settlement between the two
sovereign nations is entitled at least
to equal treatment with a war set
Element. II not, precedent would
be established, the officials say,
which would be an incentive to
war, as countries first adopting
force in the collection of claims
would have superior rights to those
observing the usual pacific means OF
settlement. The view IS strongly
held here that the United States,
France and Belgium are in effect
pacific allies, as they did not resort
to force against Venezuela. 1t is in
sisted that the present attitude of
the allies tends not only to preiu-
dice the rights of the pacific allies,
but establishes the dangerous prin-
ciple that a resort to war is prefer
able to efforts to maintain peace.
The second principle of the