Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-04-01
Secretary Root Submits to
Congress Long List of Griev-
ances Against Venezuela and
Urges Action
SENATE HAS PLAN TO
FORCE SETTLEMENT
Proposition Includes Tariff En-
bargo on Products Of South
American Country Until De-
maodS Are Considered,

lBy Morning journal Special Leased Wire
Washington u c., March 3l.-The
long expected correspondence between
America and VenezeuIa respecting
American claims against the latter
country was submitted 20 the senate
today and s almost certain to create
q profound Impression It viii be q
ucult to digest the vast mass of ht
teriai which Secretary Root has plae
ed before congress but even a eurson
inspection OF the documents makes II
evident that negotiations have Reach
ed "A critical phase The presIdeu,
realization of that fact Is shown h
his transmission Of the matter e. lH.
senate without any comment re A
ing the correspondence and espec,a.s
secretary Roots strong presentation
Of Che American ease as sufficient to
instantly enlist the attention Of con-
gross
All of the correspondence and docu.
meuts were referred 10 the senate
committee on foreign relations, Sec
tetary Root will appear before the
committee tomorrow ostensibly to dis
euss some Of the treaties negotiated
at The Hague bnt Il Is expected he
win take up the Venezuelan affair and
suggest some action. Those members
of the committee who have already
famllorized themselves With the slt-
unton have arranged tent@tively Il
program which consists Of three prop
esItIons as follows
Place a prohibtive tarin on Ven
eulalan coffee the exports Of which
constitute i5 per cent of the entire
Vcnezeulan foreign trade and 90 per
cent Of the coffee being taken by the
Emitted states
Exclude all importntlons of as
phalt from Lake Berdume2, the pro-
duct of which Is taken almost entire
ly by the United states.
Authorize the precedent 10 cxer-
else the general power vested In
Him TO take whatever steps he may
consider necessary to treat with Ven
eacua in the future"
The most interesting features of the
correspondence are those IN which
Secretary Root figures
Various attempts had been made by
administrations to effect Il
settlement Of the American claims
the late Secretary Hay having gone
so far as TO lay down what was re-
garded as almost an ultimrtum. nut
all there attempts failed Of success
and after a lapse of many months
Seereary Root felt bound to again
strive TO reach an agreement
In a letter to Minister Russell on
February 2S, 1907, Mr.. Root review
I'd the difficulties encountered by the
various American claimants and in
structed Mr.. Russell to demand rem
ady and redress The latter conclud.
I'd with this statement
"You are instructed to bring tho
several causes OF complaint to the
ana serious attention of
The Vcnezeulan government and n
sist that the government to which you
are accredited shall give to each and
he demand herein set forth imne-
'iatc consideration
In issuing general instru cor -
lie American minister Secretary Root
said.
"You viii call the attention of the
government Of Venezula that notwith-
standing the long and unbroken
friendship manifested by the United
states for Venezeula and notwith-
sanding the repeated occasions upon
,hich the United states has interven-
ID as a friend in need TO relieve Ven
zucla from disagreeable and danger
,us complications with other powers;
Notwithstanding The patience ana con.
liberation which has always charac-
erized the action of this government
oward Venezeula the Venezeulan
government has Within the past few
ears practically confscated or de-
troyed all the substantial property
of Americans IN Venezula
'his has been done sometimes in ac,
ordance with the forms OF law and
ontrary to the spirit Of the law
without form Of law by
mo device or another, with the action
Il the government apparently always
rostilo to American Interests until Of
he many millions of dollars invest
ID bv American citizens in that coun-
ry practically nothing remains"
The claims as outlined by Mr.. Root
we're presented to Vcnezeula by Mr.
{useerI ana tho correspondence shows
bcy received scaut consideration. On
Nat account Mr. Root addressed ar
,ther letter to Mr., Russell dated