The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-18
PROTOCOL With VENEZUELA
TEXT OF DOCUMENT SIGNED BY
HAY AND BOWEN.

AmerIean-In Case of Disagreement
Queen WIIheImina VIII Name an
Umpire, Having Accepted the Task.
Washington, Feb. 17.-Secretary Hay
for the United States, and Mr.. Bowen
for Venezuela to-day signed protocol
providing for the adjustment of United
States claims against Venezuela by a
corpmission to meet at Caracas.
The commission will consist of two
members, a Venezuelan and an Ameri-
can, to be- appointed respectively by
Presidents Castro and Roosevelt, and
in the event of disagreement an UNI
pire, to be appointed by the Queen of
the Netherlands. 1t is expected that
the minister for foreign affairs will be
appointed as Venezuela's representa-
tive. and that either Mr.. Bowen or Mr..
Russell, the United States charge, will
be named to represent the United
States.
Baron Gevers, the minister for the
Netherlands, called at the state depart
ment to-day to give notice of the ac-
ceptance by Queen Wilhelmina of the
task imposed upon her, her consent
having been previously sought by both
parties to the arbitration.
The protocol signed to-day is expect
ed to serve as a model for similar in
struments to be arranged with the
other claimant powers. The text of the
protocol follows:
Protocol of an agreement between
the secretary of state of the United
States of America and the plenipoten-
tiary of the republic of Venezuela for
submission to arbitration of all unset
tied claims of citizens of the United
States of America against the republic
of Venezuela.
'"rhe United States of America and
the republic of Venezuela, through
their representatives, John Hay, secre-
tary of state of the United States of
America, and Herbert W. Bowen, the
plenipotentiary of the republic of Vene-
zuela, have agreed upon and signed the
following protocol:
Article ALI claims owned by citi-
zens of the United States of America
against the republic of Venezuela
which have not been settled by diplo-
matte agreement or by arbitration be-
tween the two governments and which
shall have been presented to the COM
mission hereinafter named by the de-
partment of state of the United States
or it's legation at Caracas, shall be ex-
amined and decided by a mixed COM
mission which shall sit at Caracas and
which shall consist of two members,
one of whom is to be appointed by the
president of the United States and the
other by the president Of Venezuela.
"It Is agreed that an umpire may be
named by the Queen of The Neither
lands. If either of said commissioners
or the umpire shall fail or cease to
act his successor shall be appointed
forthwith in the same manner as his
predecessor. Said commissioners and
umpire are to be appointed before the
first day of May, 1908.
THE commissioners and the umpire
shall meet in the city of Caracas on the
first day of June, 1908. The umpire
shall preside over their deliberations
and shall be competent to decide any
question on which the commissioners
disagree. BeIOre aSSulilllS Tie LullC-
tions of their office the commissioners
and umpire shall take solemn oath
carefully to examine and impartially
decide, according to justice and the
provisions of this convention, all claims
submitted to them and such oaths shall
be entered on the record of their pro-
ceedings. The commissioners, or in
case of their disagreement, the umpire,
shall decided all claims upon basis of
absolute equality, without regard to
objections of technical nature or Of
the provisions of local legislation.
THE decision of the commissioners,
and in the event of their disagreement,
those of the umpire shall be final and
conclusive. They shall be in writing.
All awards shall be made payable in
United States gold, or its equivalent in
silver.
Article 1.-THE commissioners or UNI
pire, as the case may be- shall investi-
gate and decide said claims upon such
evidence or information only as shall
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