The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-03-31
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON, D. c., March Goth.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. March Goth.
Mr.. EDITOR:-The Venezuelan situa.
tioi. which has been attracting public at.
tention. especially is Washin gton, for sew
eral weeks past reached what is descr ibe.
in the sensational press as "a crisis" on
Wednesday when word was received
from United States Minister Bowen that
Cipriano Castro, President of Venezuela
had positively refused to submit to arbi'
tration the claims of American citizens
against the Venezuelan government
President Castro's reply is insolent in the
in the extreme aud coming from larger
power or an Executive ordinarily posses
ed of better manners, would doubtless
have precipitated very delicate situation
The position of the present administers
ton how ever, is that the United States
can DO more afford to take umbrsge at
the impudent reply of small callibre
power like Venezuela, :han. can the Pres
ldent take offense at the small boy who
grests him with "Hurrah for Debs.''
In the estimation of State Departme nt
officials and of many diplomats in Wash
inston, President Castro has made a
grave tactical error. Had American
claims against Venezuela been submitted
to the Hague, or other arbitral tribunal,
Venezuela would have been assured the
advantage Of full and fair Investigation
- ~ Of no NJ alma on6 pnnI6
have been compelled to pay only what
proved to DO just. Under existing cir
cumstances, Castro has deprived his coun-
try of the benefits of such a tribunal and
of the advantages accruing from the bet
ter sort of investigation while the United
States will be compelled to conduct an
investigation outside of Venezuela and
will, if such an inquiry seems to establish
the equity of the claims, be entirely war
ranted in the application Of force to in
sure their collection.
President Castro has, of course, been
playing deep game of late but, uufor
tunately for Venezuela, one not suffic-
iently deep to go to the bottom of things.
Doubtless emboldened by the action Of
the United States Sen ate in failing to APP
prove the Dominican protocol, he has
assumed that the Senate would not up
hold the administration in any applica
ton of force to Venezuela tut he has
gone further from the truth in his as
sumptions and has, OF is, endeav oring to
grant to certain European nations lien
on all of Venezuela's ports with the hope
that the United States will be thus es
topped from Selling any of them because
such seizure would result in strained re-
lations with such European powers as
that Mr.. Castro does not take into con
sideration the fact that European nations
wonld welcome the interference of the
United States Should it become neces
sary to apply force to collect damages for
American citizens, the United States
would merely assure the powers involved
that in siezing Venezuelan ports theil
rights would be protected that such per
centages as had been guaranteed them by
Castro would be upulously collected
and paid to them while, of course, the en-.
tire remainder Of the revenues would b.
protected that such percentages as hac
been guaranteed them by Castro woul(
be ru pulously collected and paid to
them while, of course, the entire remain
der of the revenues would be applied tc
the defrayment of American claims.
For the present, there will be no dem
onstration and no application of force
to Venezuela and President Castro will
be afforded all the rope he wants will
which to bind his hands or even to hang
himself, but if he once e1hausts the pa
thence of the administration the results
will not be such as to insure his comfor
or that of his country and if he shoult
compel this country to strike blow il
the interest of American citizens it woult
be delivered with force and sudden