Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-03-24
Castro Refuses Arbitration.

Washington, March 24-After with
holding his answer for many weeks Pres
ident Castro has told the United States
that he will not arbitrate any of the
pending questions between this country
and Venezuela. This intelligence came
TO the State Department this morning in
a cablegram from Minister Bowen and is
repeated in almost parallel phrases in
the press dispatches.
President Castro's action is in the
form of a note in reply to Minister
Bowen's recent communication trans
hitting the demands Of the United States
that all pending questions be submitted
to free arbitration.
In the note President Castro peremp-
torily declines to permit any of the
questions to be- arbitrated. The text of
his communication Is not made public,
but at the State Department it is an
nounced that its tone is practically in
sulting.
Secretary of War Taft, who is tempo
rarily in charge of State Department
matters, presented the information to the
President and his Cabinet at this morn
ing's meeting,
Much feeling is evinced by the officials
OF the administration at the tone of the
reply which was sent bither verbatim by
Mr.. Bowen and the dispatch was
thoroughly discussed at the Cabinet
meeting today.
This reply has brought a crisis in
the situation Mr.. Bowen does not say
in his dispatch that he has been dis
missed from Venezuela, but his rela-
ton are 80 strained that it is almost
beyond question that he will be recalled
to this country even if Castro does not
follow up his reply by handing passports
to Minister Bowen. Just what the |
next step will be is questionable, but
vessels of the navy will be |
sent to the Venezuelan coast and it
Is very likely that they will institute
of the coast precisely as did |
The European nations two years ago.
Whether that will effect anything or
not is less than conjsctural. 1t is'likely
10 precipitate a controversary between
he United States, Great Britain, Ger
many, Italy and France to say nothing
VI several minor foreign creditors who
will have the precedent OF TWO years ago
o quote against this country and The
Hague decision to uphold them in their
position of that date. The moral effect
# such action is hardly calculable upon
man of Castro's temperament and
With all these factors staring them in
he face many of the officials of the gov
rnment this morning confess to very
essimistic frame of miad as to the out
ONE II
The very nature ofthe American claims
gainst Venezuela is against successful
sue. Although the State Department
as employed its best efforts to enforce
objection it has admitted at different
mes that in each instance there was an
lement of doubt whether the American :
laimant had his skirts wholly clear of
1c ullIt WuiCu COfCto bdbiu-hhCAiNoh
olitics. For instance it has very good
round to believe that the New York and
ermudez Asphalt Company was more or
IS implicated in the Matos revolution ,
gainst Castro in the Orinoco country,
holds that Venezuela had right to
xpel from its territory A. F. Jaurett,
lie newspaper correspondent, provided
conformed with its own laws and act
without undue severity, aud there is I
D equivalent doubt of the entire justice i
the claims of the 0rinoco Steamship .
ompany and of the other asphalt dis I
ute, that involving the fields at Mara !
libo.
Ia Mr.. Bowen's note it was stated that
the event of the refusal Of President
astro to &rbitrate this country would be A
'mpeIled to "take its own course" 2
hat course, whatever it may be, will L
Nv have to be decided by President
oosevelt and mis- official advisers.
Attacked by Mob