Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-02-01

annoyance felt here over the short sighted
conduct of the British ministers, who seem
to have entered into the affair unmindful
of or oblivious to the complications bound
to follow their action.
Although Foreign Secretary Lansdowne
has been too i'll to go to the foreign office
or to receive the diplomatic corps. the
American charge d'affaires, Henry d.
White, has had conferences with him at
Lansdowne house during the last two days
The marquis has also received the German
ambassador.
Doubt Americas Anger.
Austin Chamberlain, postmaster general,
represented his father at the annual dinner
of the jewellers and silversmiths at Birm-
ingham tonight. In replying to the toast,
His Majestys Minister'S" he devoted the
greater part OF his speech to Venezuela.
He said after the British government had
decided to seek satisfaction for Venezuelan
outrages and to demand guarantees against
their repetition. it had been approached by
Germany and requested to cooperate with
that country. Courtesy made it impossible
for the British government to decline, and
now it would be dishonorable to withdraw.
The government was fully aware of it's liza
bility.
Replying to a suggestion that the pres
ent course might jeopardize the good rela
| tions between Great Britain and the United
| States, Mr.. Chamberlain said he would re-
! gard that as a calamity to the civilized
world. There was no nation whose good
! opinion Great Britain valued as highly as
that of the United States. But he thought
| 1t incredible that the United States should
| take umbrage because no nation so Loyalty
supported the Monroe doctrine as Great
! Britain.
| In conclusion, he said he was confident
America would look in a friendly manner
on efforts to secure that redress for British
subjects which it would feel to be its first
duty to obtain for American citizens.
France Wants It's Money.
! Copyright 1903. by Press Publishing Coz
PARIS, Jan. 3l.--(New York World Ca
blegram-Special Telegram 1.-THE question
! OF preferential treatment OF the allies in
the payment of claims against Venezuela
will not be settled in Washington" said
high Official OF the French Foreign ministry
today to the World correspondent, but In
London, Berlin and Rome. and a friendly
solution only seems possible through the
Withdrawing of the request for preferential
treatment"
He added:
Frances position is the same as that of
the United States.
1t looks to me as If the powers that have
employed the blockade and used other
| drastic measures against Venezuela are
! reaping an advantage from these coercive
! tactics while those that employed arbitra-
| tion and other pacific measures-France,
the United States, Belgium, Holland and
other powers-are in danger of being in
terfered with. That is why the French
| and the American interests are identical in
this matter. But II is not alone a Franco
American question. The interests of all
neutral powers are involved-that is our
We have taken no measure against any
power All we have done since the be-
| ginning OF the crisis was TO notify the
Venezuelan government and Mr.. Bowen, at
/ Washington, that we have claims which
We're admitted b~fore the beginning of the
/ trouble and that we expect them to be
respected. We are perfectly willing other
foreigners should get their money, but we
do not intend that their action shall pre-
We do not want to blun We are not
that 1t would not increase sympathy for
/ France I'm the United States TO say: Here
7 Is an occasion where our interests go hand
/ I'm hand; let us send an ultimatum"
1t is only a question of money, and IT is
I the same for all the powers Interested
The various governments. are now recon-
I side-ing the position In view of the new
! situation created by the action OF Great
Britain Germany and Italy.
The tone of the French press shows that
the editorial writers fear there will be a
renewal of hostilities by the allies in
Venezuelan waters as a result of the pres
ent complications.
The Temps points out that the worlds
chief interest is to secure an end to the
whole arfair. which is beginning to be
viewed as another Macmillan blunder.
Germany Explains Hitch.
BERLIN. Jan. 31.-The apparent hitch
in the Venezuelan Negotiations at Washing
ton is explained in the following manner:
Venezuela hypothecated to France some
time ago l3 per cent OF the customs re-
ceipts, which constitutes a priority claim
upon the Venezuelan customs. The block
aiding powers are quite willing to recog-
nize this in a sense, but President Castro
wants it TO be understood as constituting
part Of the 80 per cent offered TO the block
aiding powers.
AS the latter would then only have II per
cent left, they regard it as inadequate and
I hence are rot willing To accent