The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-08

Caracas, Saturday, March 2S.-The ar- rival in LaGuaira March l. of the Uni ted States steamship Tacoma, and the en- suing notes exchanged between the American minister and the Venezuelan minister for foreign affairs over the in- cident of the opening of the Tocoma' S mail pouches in the LaGuaira postoffice, has greatly increased the long existing strain in the diplomatic relations between the two countries. These relations recent ly have been aggravated by diplomatic correspondence regarding tine American claims against Venezuela and by the res olution of the American Congress calling for the ventilation of the Venezuelan question before that body.
 Minister Russell on March 21, in a note to Dr. Paul, minister for foreign affairs, made the following statement which was qualified by the latter in his answer as 'emanating from prejudiced mind" and as showing "suspiciousness or levity."
 'Inasmuch as having broken the seal of the United States, which had been placed on the mail pouches addressed to a United States warship visiting in Ven- ezuelan port, and having touched wrong fully the correspondence of said ship, is serious matter. I respectfully ask yodr excellency to make a prompt and conl- plete Investigation of this act on the part of the functionaries of the Venezuelan postoffice in LaGuaira."
 The foreign office ordered an investiga- tion to be made by the postmaster gen. eral This showed that the pouches had been opened by mistake, and that the contents had not been disturbed Dr. Paul then answered MT. Russell, under date of March 4, as follows, both notes being published on the following day in Fl Constitutional:
 pr. Paul's Answer.
 ''To the suspiclousness or levity shown by the observation contained in your ex- cellency's note, the Venezuelan govern- ment even more interested in clearing the matter, replied by immediately address, ing Minister Fomento, in conformity with your desire, to the end of opening rapid investigation of the facts. From the re- port your excellency will see that tie facts are completely cleared up, and in a way which attaches no responsibility which could affect the god name of the administration and the credit of gov ernment as Venezuela has today.
 "In fact. one sees at first sight that the government of Venezuela could have no interest in interfering with correspond ence of no importance to it, and only a prejudiced mind could have called is } very serious matter from the first mo- ment.
 Ut is perfectly well explained that the seals of the two bags received by the postoffce in LaGuaira and not three as stated in your excellencys note, and which it afterward became known were for the cruiser Tacoma were exactly similar to the ordinary seals used by the New York postoffice, and it is also explained that the correspondence was delivered as soon as it's destination be- came known integral and intact, as was shown by the secretary of the American consul receiving 1t without question. This is also shown by the contents of your excellency's note to which I refer.' The Tacoma arrived just at the time of the bubonic plague scare in LaGuaira and two days later left for Curacoa with dispatches for the state department in regard to health conditions in that port.