The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-04-02
CRISIS IS NEAR :
| WITH VENEZUELA
PRESIDENT TRANSMITS TO SEN.
I ATE ALL THE DOCUMENTS.
FIVE CLAIMS INVOLVED
Solicitor Scott Says the Cases Re.
qulre Vigorous Action--Tenta-
i tive Program ls Ar.
ranged.

! Washington, Apr. 1.-The long ex.
pected correspondence between Amer.
lea and Venezuela respecting pending
American claims against the latter
country was submitted to the senate
Tuesday and is almost certain to Gre
ate profound impression. 1t will be
difficult to digest the vast mass OF
material which Secretary Root has
placed before congress, but even a
cursory inspection of the documents
makes it evident that negotiations
have reached critical phase.
The presidents realization of that
fact is shown by his transmission Of
the matter to the senate without
any comment regarding the CORE
spondence. and especially Secretary
Roots. strong presentation of the
American case as sufficient to instant
~ enlist the attention of congress.
All of the correspondence and docu.
ments were referred to the senate
committee on foreign relations Sec
retary Root will appear before the
committee Wednesday, ostensibly to
discuss some of the treaties negoti.
ated at The Hague, but 1t is expected
he will take UP the Venezuelan affair
and suggest some action.
Three Propositions Suggested.
Those members of the committee
who have already familiarized them.
( selves with the situation have ar
4 Sanged tentatively program, which
consists Of three propositions as fol.
lows:
Place. a prohibitive tariff on Vene-
zuelan coffee, the exports OF which
constitute AS per cent. of the entire
Venezuelan foreign trade, and 80 per
cent. Of the coffee is taken by the
United States.
Exclude All importations Of asphalt
ffbm Lake Burmedez, the product Of
which has been taken almost entirely
by the United States.
Authorize the president to exercise
the general power invested in him to
take whatever steps he may consider
necessary to treat with Venezuela in
the future.
Strong Language About Jaurett.
A memorandum compiled by So
licitor Scott of the state department
gives exhaustively the facts and law
in each of the five subjects of dispute
between the American and Vene-
zuelan governments The case of the
expulsion from Venezuela of A. F.
Jaurett, naturalized American, in
November, 1904, is first discussed.
Jaurett was compelled to leave Vene-
zuela, where he had lived for eight
years. without warning and under a
24-hour notice. on the ground that his
presence there was ''notoriously
prejudicial to public order Besides
being consul for Panama, Jaurett was
the correspondent of several foreign
newspapers, and was interested in the
publication of paper in Caracas. He
was not allowed to wind up his busi-
ness and private affairs and claims
damages on this account to the extent
of $4,000. In his review of this
claim Solicitor Scott uses this vigor-
GUS language:
''In view of all the facts of the
case, the determined attitude of the
department, and the justness of the
claim, whether it be tested by the
policy Of this country, by the doctrines
Of writer's of authority, by the de-
cisions of mixed courts, or by the
judgments of international tribunals.
II must appear that the time has come
for language stronger than that EN-.
.ployed in a request. A demand should
be made upon the Venezuelan govern.
ment for the settlement of the claim
in full, and II the demand be met with
procrastination or refusal, the dignity
of this government would seem to re.
quire prompt and vigorous action"
The other cases are the Orinoco
corporation claim, the Orinoco Steam
ship company claim, the United States
and Venezuelan company, commonly
known as the Critchfeld. claim, and
the New York and Bermudez Asphalt
company claim. In explanation of the
last mentioned the Calhoun report is
made public. This does not absolve
the asphalt company from blame for
melting the Matos rebellloa against
President Castro