Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-01
MINISTER CAN'T GET HOME
M. DE REUS DOESN'T WANT TO
TOUCH IN VENEZUELA.
News Of Alleged Insults Reaches
Dutch Colony-Senor Paul's
Caustic Letter.

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao. August l.
The news that President Castro. had
withdrawn the exequaturs of all the
Dutch consuls and vice consuls in Vene-
zuela until such. time as the Neither
lands government apologies for the al
legged insults put upon Venezuela was
received in Curacao this morning by
correspondence by the steamer Dagfred.
which passed by the port, but did not
stop.
The colonial government is in tele-
graphic communication with several
steamship lines in an effort to get a
vessel to come to Curacao and take M.
de Reus. the former minister of the
Netherlands to Venezuela. who was ex-
PEELED by President Castro. to some
point where he can connect with a
steamer for Holland. The difficulty is
that practically every steamer leaving
here touches at a Venezuelan port, and
this the minister does not desire to do.
The mail from the steamer Dagfred
contained also details. of the letter sent
by the Venezuelan government to the
government Of the Netherlands, in
which Venezuela gave list of the In
juries and insults to which she has been
subjected at the hands of the Neither
lands. This letter Is dated July %. and
is from the Venezuelan minister Of for
eign affairs. Jose de Jesus Paul. to the
Netherlands foreign minister, ]. r.. d.
M. Van Swinderen.
Senior Paul says Venezuela considers
it an insult that the Netherlands
cruiser Gelderland did not salute the
ports of Porto Cabello and La Guaira
on the occasion of recent calls. in spite
of the fact that these places are de-
Tended by forts In spite of this lack
of courtesy the Gelderland was allowed
to communicate with the Netherlands
consuls at each place and to take on
board Minister de Reus at La Guaira.
Furthermore, Notwithstanding the re-
fusal of the commanding officer Of the
Gelderland to receive on board the har-
Dor officials of the Venezuelan govern
ment at Porto Cabello and La Guaira,
the Netherlands consuls were given
each salute of seven guns.
Lack of Civilization.
Continuing, Senior Paul gives details OF
the occurrences at Willemstad that pre-
coded the departure from that port of the
Venezuelan consul. Senior Lopez compar-
ing them with the attitude Of the Vene-
zuelan government when Minister De
Reus left Caracas. He says he considers
the expulsion Of Senior Lopez an evidence
of lack of civilization on the part of the
people of Willemstad and inability of the
authorities to afford proper protection for
the consul of a friendly nation.
In conclusion the Venezuelan foreign
minister writes that the position taken by
the colony of Curacao against Vene-
zuela compromises the friendly relations
of the two states and demands apology
for, the insults of NJ. De Reus to the
Venezuelan nation and the Venezuelan
government, for the fact that the Colder
land did not salute Porto Cabello and La
Guaira. for the attack in Willemstad on
the Venezuelan consul and the members
of his family and on the consulate. and
for the dissertation of the consul shield,
saying that otherwise friendly relations
between the two countries are impossible.