Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-01

pected correspondence between Amer
lea and Venezuela respecting pending
American claims against the latter
country was submitted to the Senate
today and is almost certain to create
a profound impression. 1t will be diff
ficult to digest the vast mass of ma
tcrial which Secretary Root has placed
before Congress, but even q cursory
inspection of the documents make it
evident that the negotiations have
reached a critical phase. The Presi-
dents realization of that fact is
shown by his transmission of the mat
ter to the Senate without any comment
regarding the correspondence and es-
pecially Secretary Roots strong pre-
sentation of the American case as suf-
ficient to instantly enlist the attention
of Congress.
All of the correspondence and doc
uments were referred to the Senate
committee on foreign relations. Sec
rotary Root will appear before the
committee tomorrow ostensibly to dis
cuss some of the treaties negotiated
at The Hague; but it is expected he
will take up the Venezuelan affair and
suggest some action. Those members
of the committee who already have
| fami,iarized themselves with the stu
alton have arranged tentatively Il
program which consists of three prop
Ositions, as follows:
Place q prohibitye tariff on Vene-
zuelan coffee, the exports of which
constitute As per cent. of the Venezue-
Ian foreign trade and 80 per cent. Of
which is taken by the United States.
Exclude all importations of asphalt
| from Lake Bermudez, the product of
| which has been taken almost entirely
| by the United States.
| Authorize the President to exercise
the general power invested in him to
take whatever steps he. may consider
necessary to treat with Venezuela in
the future.
The most interesting features of the
correspondence are those in which
| Secretary Root figured Various at
tempts had been made by preceding
| administrations to effect a settlement
of the American claims. but all had
| failed and after a lapse of many
months, Secretary Root felt bound
again to strive to reach an agreement
In n letter to Minister Russell Feb.
%. 1907. Mr.. Root reviewed the difficult
| ties encountered by the various Amer
lean claimants and instructed Mr..
Russell to demand remedy and redress.
The letter concluded with this state
| ment
| 'you are instructed to bring these
1 several causes of complaint to the i'm
mediate and serious attention Of the
| Venezuelan government and to insist
| that the government to which you are
| credited shall give to each and every
demand herein set forth immediate
| consideration" In issuing general in
| structons to the American misister,
| Secretary Root said:
| You will call the attention of the gov
eminent of Venezuela to the fact that.
notwithstanding the long and unbrollen
friendship manifested by the United
States for Venezuela, notwithstanding the
repeated occasions upon which the Unit
ed States has interviewed as a friend in
order to relieve Venezuela from disagree
able and dangerous complications with
other powers; notwithstanding the pa
thence and consideration which has al
ways characterized the action of this gov
eminent towards Venezuela, the govern
ment of Venezuela has within the past
few years practically confiscated or de-
stroyed all the substantial property in
terests of Americans in that country.
This has been done sometimes In &C
lcordance with the forms of law and con-
trary to the spirit of the laws; some
times without even form of law. by one
device or another with the action of the
government, apparently always hostile to
American interests. until of the many
millions of dollars invested by American
citizens in that country practically moth
ling remains"
In treating the various claims. Mr.. Root
comments upon the expulsion of A. +.
Jaurett from Venezuelan territory In 1904.
Mr. Root says that the United States
neither questions nor denies the exist
ence of the sovereign right to expel an
undesirable resident but that the justi-
fication must be great and convincing.
as otherwise residences In foreign coun-
tries would be neither safe nor profitable.
ut is not too much to insist that the
person to be expelled be given an oppor-
tunity to explain the misconduct where
| of he is accused and that he should be
given an opportunity to arrange his bus
mess affairs in order that expulsion may
not necessarily carry with it forfeiture
of property"
The claims were presented to Venezue-
la by Mr. Russell and the correspondence
shows they received scant consideration
1 On that account Mr.. Root addressed an
other letter to Mr.. Russell dated June q,
1907, calling attention to the demands for
an amicable adjustment of the controver-
sizes by means of international arbitra-
ton, but that the justification must bt
great and convincing.
Commenting upon venezuela's failure
to take cognizance of the American note
Mr. Root in the letter said:
"TLe answer the Venezuelan govern