Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-22
WANTS NO INTERFERENCE.
Ex-Secretary of State Talks About
 Asphalt Trust.

Washington, April 22.-Former Secretary of State John w. Poster is cutspoken in protest against an armed demonstration against ven ezuela in behalf of the asphalt trust. He declares in forcible terms that the position sought to be as sumed by giving to the president authority to use the navy and army to enforce upon Venezuela the claims presented by the trust, IS wrong in principle, erroneous Ill law and contrary to all precedents in our diplomatic history.
 q can see no necessity sad Mr Foster to-day, for naval demonstration against Venezuela President Castro is right in his con tention that the claims alleged by the asphalt trust are matters to be adjudicated by the courts of ven ezuela. The trust has no legal ground on which to ask for inter- vention by our government. It IS a principle established by the tribun- als of all civilized nations, and par ticularly by the diplomatic prac- tice of the United States, that q man who takes up arms against friendly nation, or commits overt acts in opposition to the malnte- nance of the power of that friendly government, by that act forfelts all right to appeal to his own govern ment for relief or protection from the consequence of his acts. This has become a maxim in lnterna- tional practice, and it applies as well to a corporation as to an in dividual.
 ''In the case of Venezuela, all claims other than those of the as- phalt trust sink out of sight when there is prospect of action. The state department records show that when agreement for arbitration of claims had been reached, the United States presented only the case of the trust Castro very rightly refused to accept such an arbitration scheme.
 When we examine the record we find that the asphalt trusts own of ficials testified under oath that the trust had paid $100,000 to General Matos several months before gun had been fired or a squad of men equipped ill the insurgent forces of which the trust expressed so much fear. They paid to him or his agents $45, 900 more. and gave or ders for the supply of food and ann munition to bodies of insurgents. Proofs are plenty that the real head quarters of the Matos rebellion were located in the offices of the asphalt nf fhnCn nrnnfc nf ord are eliminated from the papers sent to the senate by the state de- partment as a complete statement of the case. But they exist on the rec ord. and can be seen by any one in terested.
 Now in payments of large sums of money to men engaged actively in fomenting rebellion, and furnish ing material aid and comfort to bodies of men in actual insurrection do not bring this trust within the prohibition stated above, my read ing of the law is at fault. I as- sert that the trust is without stand ing in the court, and l have cited to the senate committee the au- thorities upon which I base my conclusion" a Hf.,.s=-. E..
 Discussion of the political aspect of the move for armed intervention in Venezuela is extending. Demo- cratic leaders in congress are not slow to see what a powerful weapon is hereby being forged for use at a critical stage of the presidential campaign. A call to the colors would distract public attention from com paign issues, and an appeal for up- holding of the national honor would. if made at the psychologi- cal moment, align many wayering voters under the Roosevelt banner. This act alone leads opponents of the trust to fear that jingo action may be taken by the republican