The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-25
CASTRO REJECTS OUR DEMAND
REFUSES TO ARBITRATE THE As
PHALT COMPANY'S CASE.

The Tone Of ms Refusal Is Regarded by
Minister Bowen At Caracas ~ ImDeT.
tlnent-This Government, However,
DOtG Not Contemplate Resort 70 Force
WASHINGTON, March 24.-Ahhough Presi-
dent Castro Of Venezuela has declined to
accede 10 the virtual demand Of this Gov
eminent that he consent to arbitrate the
case Of the New York and Bermudez Asphalt
Company and other cases In which Ameri-
can citizens are claimants, there Is no pros
pect Of a hostile clash between Venezuela
and the United States. The Venezuelan
Government was told this week by Herbert
w. Bowen, the American Minister at
Caracas, that unless II agreed to arbitra-
ton the United States Government would
feel compelled to take its own course. Cas-
tro has now rejected the arbitration pro-
posal in the face Of the implied threat Of
the United States, but It is declared In the
highest authoritative quarters that the
Washington Administration does not con-
template resort 10 force or expect crisis
to arise in the relations between the two
countries.
The position Of the President was out
lined In a Washington despatch printed In
THE Sun this morning, II was to the effect
that the attitude Of the Senate concerning
the Santo Domingo treaty had given Vene-
zuela the impression that this Government
was impotent 10 deal sternly with offending
Latin American republics and that this inn
precision was, to a certain degree, correct,
The Administration, Il was declared to-
day, had no plan Of action for dealing with
Venezuela other than continuing its en-
deavors for a settlement of pending dis
putes through the peaceful channels OF
diplomacy, and furt hermore did not intend
to take any radical steps unless forced to
do 30 by some high handed act on the part
Of that Government or an indignity offered
10 the American Minister at Caracas too
serious TO be overlooked.
How complacently the Administration
IL viewing the situation and how thoroughly
Il intends not to force q crisis may be I'M
derstood from the fact that Minister Bowen
has been instructed to send the Venezuelan
Governments response to the arbitration
proposal by mail instead OF by telegraph.
Mr.. Bowen's despatch Of to-day, notifying
the State Department that the proposal
had been rejected, contained only enough
additional information to indicate that the
tone OF the response was regarded by him
as impertinent. Ordinarily the text OF
such a communication would be ordered
by telegraph, but in this case the Govern
ment, feeling that nothing is to be gained
by haste, is willing to wait until il can come
through the slow channel Of the mail.
Some consideration 10 the Venezuelan
matter was given by the President and his
Cabinet at their regular meeting to-day,
but the conclusions reached were not Of a
belligerent character. In the opinion OF
the Cabinet the attitude Of President
Castro, while irritating, was not such
ls to call for any resort 10 coercive or punt
tive measures by this Government. His
rejection Of the arbitration proposal, 1t
was agreed, was merely a repetition Of
what he had done before. and the Admin
stration had not made any definite de-
claration Of policy which il would be
obliged 10 withdraw at the expense Of
national pride. Cabinet officers gave
assurances after the meeting that there
was no danger Of any serious trouble with
and that the Administration
had no intention Of forcing a crisis.
II may be deemed necessary by this
Govern ment to recall Mr.. Bowen as a mark
Of dissatisfaction with Csstro's course,
but no decision to 60 TO that extreme has
been reached by the Administration and
The matter will not even be considered
until the response OF the Venezuelan Govern
ment to the arbitration proposal has beer
received in Washington.