Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-23
FRANCE CALLS CASTRO DOWN
People Are Indignant al Treatment Of
Charge dAffiirss to Venezuela.
PREMIER PREPARING An ULnMATUW
VIII Not Permit south American Ma
tion TO Distin guish Between Per-
sOnaI and Omcial Capacity
of Representative.

PARIS, Sept z2.-The offensive attitude
of Venezuela toward NJ. Taigny. the French
charge d'affaires at Caracas, has aroused
indignation in official circles here. Al
though the ministry has not yet taken
definite action 1t is said in the highest
quarters that Premier Rouvier undoubtedly
will demand that Venezuela disavow the
offensive action and adopt a course con-
formable wtth the usual courtesies OF
diplomatic intercourse. The Venezuela
authorities are now seeking to show thu
their action was directed aga =
NJ Taigny personally and not agair
French government, but the ofic 4,
do not accept the distinctir en-
NJ Tagny's personal and OF 4clty.
He has high standing at = n office,
where he recently serve, also aided
Ambassador Cambon at ' ,ningt0n dur
ing the most delicate phases OF the Spanish
war negotiations Therefore there is no
intention here to permit Venezuela to make
a scapegoat Of him
status of AFFAIR.
The official directly charged with hand
ing Venezuelan questions explained the
general status of the controversy as fol-
lows:
Venezuela supports the closing of the
French cable cOmpanys inland sta lions
on the ground of the decision of the Venez-
uelan courts. France does not question
the general right Of the courts, but main
tains that the decision OF the courts con-
tained nothing authorizing the executive
branch to seize and shut up the cable
stations.
Moreover only a day before shutting up
the inland stations Venezuela gave as
surance tnat General Velutini the Nencz-
uelan minister at Paris, would take steps
70 satisfactorily ADJUST the question. There
tore, NJ. Taigny protested on the ground
= DOT a ttr-VF "a
| closing stations. This protest was not Nj.
lalsny personally, but followed specific
| Instructions from the Foreign office. There
| lore, II is impossible to raise personal
! issue a separate verbal protest was made
against the expulsion OF Manager Brun of
| the French Gable company on the ground
that the right to eXpel foreigners does not
only apply to NJ. BTun, who was permaE-
entity domiciled in Caracas. 1t is to be
expected that a demand will be made that
venezuela dlsavOw the action taken. Ihe
subsequent course Of France will depend
| upon NeneZuelas reply.
Inquiry makes it practically certain that
| Venezuela has placed orders at the CruezOl
works for eight field batteries and four
moutain batteries, the latter consisting OF
| four guns each.
1t was announced from Caracas Septem-
Der %. that the Venezuelan government had
that day made formal reply to the protest
lodged September 19 by NJ. Taigny, the
| French charge d'affaires. against the clos.
/ ing Of the inland stations of the French
| Gable company and the expulsion of the
manager of the company, NJ. Brun:
| The government holds documents pro
| viding that the French Gable company
| has accepted the result Of the iudicia
proceedings brought against it, The gov
| eTnment is only waiting to establish new
/ relations between II and the company. NJ
| Taigny, the French charge d's1aires, know
/ this and therefore the protest can only b'
considered as an act OF hostility. For this
| reason the government will abstain from
! treating with the French government
! through NJ Taigny.
Proposes Joint Action.
The semi-oficial Temps this evening
! printed a leading article rejecting offlcia
! sentiment on the subject Il said:
Taigny had been ordered to insist ol
Venezuela's Withdrawing its offensive re
| fusal to deal with him. II the Withdrawal
| Is made and President Castro makes al
| Venezuela does not acCede, IL Will be un
wise to Immediately break of diplomats
relations by the, withdrawal OF NJ. Tatgny
| since this would leave French interest
| unprotected. The best course would be 70
! France and the United States to make
Joint naval Demonstration, so that Grea
| Britain and Italy took part. According L
| our knowledge, the cabinets Of Washington
and Paris have examined certain ques
tions Mutual confidence Will render easie
an understanding for efticacious joint I'm
tervention This Intervention, in whcl
nrmness will not exclude moderation ant
prudence, appears today to be essential.
The authorities here say that exchange
will occur at Washington relative to tn
mutual Issues involved in the pending con
troversies.
NJ. Jusserand the French ambassador I
the United States, will sail for New Yor
tomorrow from Havre on the steamer l.
Lorraine.