Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-22
HAVE A RIGHT TO PREFERENCE.
To Thirty Per Cent Of the : Custom
Duties at La Guayra and
Puerto Cabelo.
UNITED STATES COMMISSIONED.
1t is to Garry Out the Decision of the
Court Of Arbitration Within
Three Months.

The Hague, Feb. 22,.--The arbitration
tribunal, which has been considering
the claims Of the blockading powers for
preferential treatment Of their claims
against V nezuela has decided unani.
mously that the three blockadlng pow.
ers. Great Britain, Germany and Italy,
have the right to preference of 30 per
cent of the custom duties at La Guayra
and Puerto Cabello, the lltigants TO pay
their own costs in the procedure and
divide equally the costs Of the tribunal.
The United States is commissioned to
carry out the decision Of the tribunal
within three months.
GUIDED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW.
In giving judgment the tribunal
points out that 1t has been guided by
International law and the equity OF the
case, and that the protocols signed at
Washington since Feb 49, 1903, and
particularly the protocol of May I,
whereof the obligatory nature cannot
be doubtful, form the legal basis Of It's
sentence; that the tribunal is not COM
potent 10 question the Jurisdiction OF
the mixed commissions at Caracas, nor
TO Judge their action or the character
OF the waTlike operations of the block
aiding powers, nor 10 decide Il the three
bockading powers exhausted all pacific
means to prevent the necessity for en-
ploying force, The tribunal decides
that II Is only IN a position TO certify
that since 1901 Venezuela refused arbl.
tration proposed on several occasions
by Germany and Great Britain; that
after the war no formal treaty Of peace
was concluded; that the operations OF
the blockaders were stopped before
they had received satisfaction for all
their claims, and. further, that the
question OF preferential treatment was
submitted to arbitration.
IN FAVOR OF ARBITRATION.
The tribunal declares that Il found
ana recognized In these facts precious
evidence In favor Of the principle of ar
bltratlon Of all phases OF international
conflict. In adherng to the protocols
the blockaders could not have intended
their nrivileged de fac,o nos,,saa' M
government Of Venezuela Itself has re "e
os,rirad I'm r,.,,oI,t' Ia t,oI,i nus ieS-
ness Of thelI. claims While /, peh aa,
recognized those NJ tbe norh,one a ~
powers and untll Tho and ~ Io ns
Iona MADE Nv, ,ho i,'h. January
AGAINST the claims for preferential
treatment. Throughout the diplomatic
negotiations VeneSuela constantiv diso
tingulshes between The alIisd novars
and the neutrals. These latter M, havD
ing protested against The claims for
preference of the blockadlng nowers
either at the time the war stonped nor
after the signing og 'ha
protocol of Feb. IA 1904 thn go,,ornN
ment OF Venezuela only aeroed IN ra
spect TO the allied powers N ofyer enc.
cial guarantees for tho fulInIInert -,
It's engagements. The good faitb ,vbich
should direct international relations
imposed the duty in the tribnnal ~
declaring that the words "all clai,sa
employed by the Venezuelan renreean.
tatives In the negotiations with tho al
lied powers could relate only 10 ,ho Ia
ter powers. Neutrals could IN soma We.
spect profit by the clrcumstnnces ora
lted by the operations of the war Win
1ut requiring new rights. The rights al
ready acquired remaining absoln,elv
intact.
In the decision the United States "a
merely TO SUPERVISE tho rarry'
ng out of the declslon REGARDING