New-York tribune., 1908-04-08
VENEZUELA IRRITATED
CH4RGE OF Bad FAITH.
Sharp Reply to 1merican Protest
Regarding Mail.

on March II of the United States cruiser Ia
coma and the ensuing notes exchanged between
! the American Minister and the Venezuelan Min
lister for Foreign Affairs over the delicate incl
| dent of the opening Of the Tacomas man
pouches at the La Guayra postoff1ce. has greatly
! increased the long existing strain in the dipio-
| matte relations between the two countries
| These relations have recently been aggravated
| by diplomatic correspondence regarding the
! American claims against Venezuela and by the
| resolution of the Washington Congress Gazing
| for the Venezuelan correspondence
Minister Russell on March 21 in note to Dr.
| Paul. Minister for Foreign Affairs, maze the
! following statement, which was referred TO by
| the latter in his answer as ''emanatfns from
prejudiced mind and showing SUSPICIOUS
| ness or levity'':
| Inasmuch as having broken the seal of the
United States which had been placed on tnese
| mail pouches addressed to United states var
| ship. visiting in Venezuelan port ana having
| touched wrongfuy the correspondence OF salo
| ship, is a very serious matter, respectfully ask
| your excellency to make prompt and complete
investigation of this act on the part OF the lunc-
| tionaries of the Venezuelan postoflce IN La
! Guayra.
The Foreign Office ordered an investigation
| to be made by the Postmaster General. This
| showed that the pouches had been opened by
mistake. and that the contents had not been
| disturbed DR.. Paul then answered Mr.. Russell
| under date of March ~ follows both notes
| being published on the following day In FL
! Constitucional:'
To the suspicousness or levity shown by the
| observations contained in your eXcellencys note
| the Venezuelan government. even more interest
| ed in clearing up the matter, replied by llnihe-
| diately addressing the Minister of Pomento, IN
conformity with your desire to the end OF open
| ing rapid investigation of the facts. From the
| report, your eXcellency will see that the Facts
completely cleared up and in a way which
% reSDOnSibjlitV which
| the good name of the administration and the
| credit of a government such as Venezuela has
day
In fact one sees at first sight that the gov
ernment of Venezuela could have no interest in
| interfering with correspondence of no import
ance TO il, and only prejudicial mind could
have called it very serious matter from the
first moment
1t is perfectly we'll explained that the seals
| of the two bags received by the postoff1ce in
La Guayra-and not three, stated in your
excellency's note-which it afterward became
known for the cruiser Tacoma were eX
actly similar to the ordinary seals used by the
New York postoffice, and it is also explained
that the correspondence delivered soon
its destination became known, integral and
intact shown by the secretary of the
American consul receiving it without question.
This is also shown by the contents of your ex-
cellency's note to which refer.
The Tacoma arrived just at the time of the
bubonic plague scare in La Guayra, and two
days later left for CURACAO with dispatches
for the State Department in regard to health
conditions in that port When she returned
few days later all of Caracas jumped to the
conclusion that the American question had
come to a crisis but it was false alarm as
| the Tacoma again sailed away after it was
ascertaned that the plague was not bubonic.
On the day following the publication of the
diplomatic correspondence regarding the viola
ton of the mail pouches OF the Tacoma, Presi-
dent Castsos official organ, lei Constitutional"
published an editorial accusing President
Roosevelt of searching for light incidents out
of which tC create conflict with Nenezuela
and of having "premedtated plan" 1t says:
Is it possible that Minister Russell could have
written his note 10 our Foreign Office without
having preconceived and premedltated inteh
tiOn? To attribute TO a simple act, without
+ responsibility to the pOstottice in La Guayra,
intentions which do not exist and to preJudge
the aci as serious for the government of the
United States Is to have a prcmedltated plan
which ought not to originate. because it cannot,
from the American Minister in Caracas, w. w
Russell
Whence then. can originate the idea of
searching for slight incidents to create a con-
ict with Venezuela? From the chef OF TINS
legation who is called the Secretary of State in
Washington. and. in turn. cannot but be under
the direct influence CT President Roosevelt
Saying that it is high time for the American
nations to know President Roosevelts real am
bitions whether those of a friend dictator,
the editorial continues:
United States, against the traditions which i'm
pose the union of the American people among
themselves, has basis the abdiCatton of
the territorial sovereignty of these people. or
the nullity of their codes, just because of the
pretensions of a few citizens who do not, and
cannot represent the will of the American peo-
pie it is then high time that this horrible truth
be known. and that the people of the New World
know whether in the government of the United
States they have a friend or a capricious die
tatOr.
If the first. Venezuela is the most respectful
of all to the dictates of honor and of friendship;
if the second it should be known once for all
that Venezuela assumed the paternity of its
sovereignty, and at this late day it has not con
ceived the crime of the traitor to foreGo it under
any form consideration.
profound sensation has been caused in
Caracas by this article. for it is President Cas-
tro who speaks Between the lines it is easy
TO see that friendly relations must be
strained almost to the breaking point Saying
that it will be necessary to conquer Venezuela
if the decisions of its courts not respected,
the article closed follows:
The question thus being placed on its true
footing il is not WarShipS cannon that
bring an honorable solution before the eyes of
the civilized world. before American traditions.
or even before that code, many times misin-
terpreted, which is called the Monroe Doctrine.
The dilemma resolves itself thus:
Either the United States will respect and sup
port the decisions of the mixed international
tribunals and those of the tribunals of Nenez-
uela or it will raise up for all the flag of
conquest in America Then it will be that the
people of the New World will know what the
position is that they will have TO occupy in the
present and in the future.
ATTEMPT TO ROB CANADIAN BANK
ST Catharine's Ont April 7..Three men at
temped to break open safe in the Imperial
Bank at ST. Davids this morning. The first eX
plosion reused the village. and while the popula-