The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-19
THE CASE OF VENEZUELA
E--Castro and His Quarrels

By Fredric J. Haskin.

1, When this quarrel first started, Mir. John Hay, Secretary of State. thought to bring things to head. He said, in substance, to President Castro: Ar bitrate or fight" Castro replied, in substance: "I'll do neither" And he hasn't. As matter of fact. the most bellicose feature of the American | Venezuelan quarrel has been the some 1 what embittered controversy in the United States between former Asssis- i tant Secretary of State, Francis B. Loomis and former Minister, Herbert w. Bowen, between rival asphalt com cerns, and between press agents in- spired by rival interests.
 One faction declares that Castro is the wickedest man on earth, an Adean cattle-thief who has made himself a dictator in opposition to the will of hls people and in defiance of every law Of decency. Another line of press agents sends out literature which de- clares that the Asphalt Trust is keep ing up an intending stream of lies about the noble Castro, who, from sheer force of character and patriotic im- pulse, rose from the humbIest begin nings to his present exalted station.
 The United States sent special com missioner, Judge William J Calhoun. r or Chicago. to Venezuela, to investi- gate the status of the claims of Amer | port to the State Department. although not public. caused Mir. Root to say in | a letter that there were questions
 appropriate for Judicial de- cision, and upon the raising of which situation was presented calling for an equitable adjustment of differences, ana which cannot properly be disposed | of by simple demand based upon the Idea that all the right is on one side |" l undoubtedly. there are two sides to the question. Perhaps neither side is wholly right fin its eonteptions. Ger talnly there is no means by which an 1 ordinary American citizen can today decide which side has the. preponder- ance of right. A judicial ascertain- | ment may be had. some day, and the | whole subject may be barred to the | critical inspection of the impartial. Un. | til then, there is always an unsettled I question.
 | States has five claims which it has been urging upon the aGovernment of l Venezuela. The Washington Govern ment asked for a re-opeaiHg and re- submission to arbitration Of the claim of the Orinoco Steamship Company; for an international arbitration to investi- gate the rights of the NewEYork and Bermudez Asphalt Company and to es- tabIish It's losses occasfoned by injus- | tice done to that company; for an ar- 1 bttratfon by The Hague or other inter- natinal tribunal of the contentious aris- ing out of the contracts and conces- i sions of the Orinoco Corporation and other concerns enjoying rights under l the Fitzgerald concession. for a with l drawal of opposition to the Crichfield | concession or arbitration of the case; 1 and for indemnity for the expulsion of A. F. Jaurett. an American citizen, 1 from Venezuela. Behind each one of | I've 1af fo1- tu 4GtA T,4 4oI, | fills volumes with contradictory, con- 1 fusing and controversial disputations. The most interesting and important cases are those of the New York and Bermudez Asphalt Company, whose property was seized by Venezuela after the company had spent $145,000 to aid revolution against Castro led by Gem eral Mates. and the Orinoco Steamship Company claim which has been once passed upon by a court of arbitration. The fact that the United States re- fuses to abide by the decision in the Orinoco Steamship case is Castro's chief reason for declinng to arbitrate other cases
 Not long after Castro had subdued his rivals and assumed full power in Caracas he discovered that he was the heir to a troublesome lot of unpaid bills. The collectors were importunate, and one day Castro found his ports
 
 CTS of Great Britain, Germany and Italy. That three such great powers should jump on little Venezuela seemed farcical, but nevertheless they stopped commerce. oecasioned a coal famine in Caracas and caused a great light to Cipriano Castro. That gentleman's government agreed to arbitrate every thing with everybody.
 So it happened that in the summer of 1903 there were ten full international arbitration commissions assembled in Caracas, not to mention another set of French commissioners. Arbitration was the order of the day. Among other claims presented was that of the Ori- noco steamship Company. It asked for a judgment for $1.401 500.03. The ques- ton finally got up to Dr. Harry Barge. the Dutch umpire selected by the Queen of Holland He granted the company 2 per cent. of it's claim. or $2s,224.93, The company was not satisfied. and neither was the American Government There fore the Washington authorities inlne- diately asked for a revision of the case. alleging that certain grave and gross errors were committed in the original trial. The American Government has ever since insisted upon the re-opening of this case, and Castro has declined.
 When the American Minister, W. W. Russell gave a receipt for money paid over to the United States to satisfy American claims. he expressly declared that no money received would be ap- piled to the payment of the Orinoco Steamship Company award. The Cas- tro Government replied that 1t didn't care what the American Government did with the money, that Venezuela would pay the total amount as awarded by the Mixed Commissions. and that It's anxiety about the matter would xuit m can Minister was reminded in that cor