Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-14
VENEZUELA GETS
NIDECT AAlClAIEn.
UINLVE HlVOWLN,
WAR DISCUSSED
NETHERLANDS DEMANDS DE-
CREE BE REVOKED
NO FooLIsHNEss TO BE ToLER-
ATED is REPLY
Protocol of 1904 Must Be Fulfilled
Henceforward and Without
Deiay-Words Not at
All Minced
fRx Associated Press.l

"A ! vocation of the decree of May ii Is
~ demanded in the most energetic man
ner-the government of Venezuela
must from this moment and without delay
! fulfill the protocol of 1904, and not prolong
the intolerabIe state Of affairs which 1t has
created by the decree of May IL"
These are the words of the minister
of foreign affairs of the Netherlands
in his note of August 20 in which ne
answers Venezuelas communication
telling OF the summary dismissal OF
Minister de Reus from Caracas.
Van Swinderem, the foreign minis
ter of Holland, began his reply TO
President Castro by acknowledging the
gravity of the offense committed by M.
de Reus and saying that the ,Nether-
lands government would have immedl-
ately recalled him of its own initiative
if it had seen the offensive pubnca-
ton, but that President Casfo hdo
taken justice into his own hands by
violating international custom by sum
marily expelling the minister without
asking for his recall. The text OF the
vital parts of the long note is as fol-
lows:
Text of Vital Parts
orhe revocation of the decree of
May IA is demanded in the most ener-
getic manner. 1t is only this reVoca-
ton which can confirm as an accom-
plished fact the assurance from your
excellency that the personal fault COM
mitted by the minister resident mas not
altered the good relations so happlly
existing between the two nations, ana
that Venezuela also desires to main
tain them on the most amicable paslS.
Recently my attention has been
again called to new complaints appar-
entity we'll founded concerning the ar
bitrary and Illicit actions of Venezuela
functionaries, for example: the seizure
on the high seas of ships flying the
Netherlands flag by Venezuelan yes
sels and have been informed by cable
of acts of your chief of state towards
the representatives of the Netherlands
government unfriendly to the highest
degree"
The note goes on to say that after
the renewal of friendly relations is es-
tablished, 1.-The celebration of definite
treaty of arbitration and consular con-
vention, which will be the surest means
of arriving at the desired end, shall be
submitted to subsequent consideration.
Must Not Delay
But the government of Venezuela
must from this moment and without
delay show it knows how to appreciate
in it's real value the protocols of
1904 and which form the basis of our
I6ldLlOlS, CS NGl1 eio AlC OOAl5lllbio ~
CURED by the Netherlands and faith
fully lived up to and that it does not
wish TO compromise its existence by
proIonging the intolerable state of af-
fairs which it has created by the de-
cree of May IA"
President Castro was away at Valen-
cia when this note was presented by
Baron Won Seckendorff, the German
minister, and he told DR.. Pau, his
foreign minister, to acknowledge re-
ceipt and to await the second note
from Holland, which 1t was known
was soon to arrive. Because of Cen
eral Castros illness the second note
has not yet been answered, but it is
generally understood here that Vene-
zuela will not give in to any of Hol-
lands demands.
VenezueIa's Position
Venezuela will take the stand that,
until a satisfactory apology and in
termination is forthcoming from the
Netherlands government for the Gin
sultlng letter" of the late Minister de
Reus and for the stoning of the Vene-
zuelan consul by the Curacao mob
Holland has no right at all to make
any demands Of this country, espe-
cially in the nature of those made in
the Dutch note which interiors with
the rights enjoyed by free nations to
1t is very generally admitted in Ca
racas that if the Venezuelan govern
ment wishes to have the tTansship
ment of merchandise for Maracaibo
done in Venezuelan ports it has per-
feet right to do so, although Caracas
may be a sufferer thereby
Although the Netherlands note asks
for the immediate revocation of the
transshipment decree. it has been re-
ported that the second note fixes the
date of November 1 as the time when
this must be done, thus giving the
note the nature of an ultimatum.
Nobody who knows General Castro
believes this demand will have any
other effect than still further to incense
Venezuela's executive against Curacao
and nobody would be surprised if his
answer was more rigorous and deter
mined than the Netherlands govern
ment expects or will like.
That Venezuela is being prepared to
resist invasion and that the many big
defense coast towns have been made
ready for an emergency is common
knowledge here.