New-York tribune., 1908-06-25
OUT WITH VENEZUELA
DRASTIC act EXPLAINED.
Severance of Relations Carefully
Considered Step.

r.
the Venezuelan charge dafares in Washing
ton called at the State Department to-day and
talked with Acting Secretary Adee but the lat
| ter declined to indicate what the nature of the
conference Senor 'Veloz has nc idea OF
| demanding his passports as the outcome of the
| withdrawal of Jacob Sleeper the American
charge at Caracas.
Mr.. Sleeper is coming home by direction of
the State Department, and it is said in official
| circles that the act means practical cessation
| of diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
Sehor Veloz had been in New York for sew
! eral days. only returning TO Washington at 1
| o'clock this morning, and he knew nothing
| of what had occurred in Venezuela in con-
nection with the closing Of the American Le-
| cation there until he read the morning papers
Nothing had prepared him for this action on
the part of the State Department, and the
| latest mail from his country, dated June
| - reported that everything quiet, and
there was no mention of the buhonic plague
which is said to be prevalent at some of the
ports, and at Caracas. So Senor Veloz
was somewhat taken aback at this last news,
but after all, he was not much disconnected,
for Venezuela has had many similar ruptures
in the past and is even not on speaking
terms with France.
PROBABLE SURPRISE TO CASTRO
The programme of the State Department is
the result of careful deliberation on the part OF
Secretary Root and Assistant Secretary Bacon
dating back to last winter. when. at the request
of Senator Lodge, the department submitted 10
the Senate all of the correspondence exchanged
between Washington and Caracas within the
last five years in regard to American claims
That the withdrawal of the American Legation
from Venezuela was a complete surprise TO
President Castro and that he was somewhat
startled by the drastic action Of the American
government there is no doubt. What the next
step in this interna tiona complication will be is
a problem that no connected with the ad-
ministration here appears able to answer 1t
is said the present is time to await develop
Inents especially TO see whether President Cas-
tros always resourcefu is willing TO permit the
United States take the next step without any
intervening move on his part to mend the situ-
alton he has brought about Castro is the demi-
nant figure in Venezuelan affairs, and it is
believed here that he will continue TO play that
role, ne has done for nine years, unless con-
ditions should be developed to break his power.
The publication in the CONSTITUTIONAL" Cas-
tro's personal organ, suggesting that in spite Of
the action of the American government in with
drawing its legation. ''the brotherhood and high
consideration of the Venezuelan people toward
the United States" would not be weakened, is
the columns OF that paper have been filled with
denunciation of the United States The Con
stitucional" is to such extent regarded aa
the personal organ of Castro that there is little
doubt he personally dictated the tone of the
editorial, if not its exact language.
Acting Secretary Adee has communicated
with Secretary Root, and it is probable that
a conference will soon be held by Mr. Root
with Assistant Secretary Bacon and Acting
Secretary Adee and all the correspondence that
has passed between Washington and Caracas
since the department submitted its answer to
the Lodge resolution may be made public.
The Navy Department has only meagre ad-
vices from Venezuela The seaports of that
country have been Stunned by merchant ship
ping account of plague. and of course the
department would not feel warranted in send
ing warships into the pest-strcken waters ex-
cept in case of great urgency. So naval move
ments in that quarter have been confined to
those made by the little gunboat Marietta. At
the instance Of the State Department solicitous
for the safety of its people in the legation at
Caracas and the American consular officers on
the coast of Venezuela, the Navy Department
ordered the Marietta to Willemstad, only a
couple of hours steaming distance from La
Guayra, to make sure that these Americans
might he able to depart from Venezuela in
the plague spread to such proportions
that no merchant vessels could be induced to
enter the harbors. The Marietta has con-
sequenty been cruising back and forth be-
tween Willemstad and the mainland. acting
without specific orders and as a result of COM
munications with the American Legation and
consulates. The last report from the ship
came to the department from Wilemstad under
date Of Monday saying that the vessel was
about to proceed to Porto Cabello.
THE SEVERANCE COMPLETE
The severance of diplomatic relations between
the United States and Venezuela is regarded
here as technically complete, and it is not nee
essary for the State Department to serve on the
Venezuelan government any further notice of
the termination than conveyed by Mr.
Caracas and indicated that the Brazilian diplo-
matte representative would be placed in charge
Of the archives Of the American Legation.
The declination of the Venezuelan government
TO issue passports to Mr.. Sleeper at his request
is regarded by the American-Latin element in
this city as a rather unpleasant sign. They be-
lieve that Mr. Sleeper did not demand his pass
ports (Which of course, he might have had had
he persisted) as political step, but rather with
the purpose of instrng free passage for the
legation party through the rigorous quarantine
lines.
Up to the close of Office hours to-day Mr. |
Sleeper had not formally reported his depart |
ure from Venezuela, although word from him to
that effect is expected at any time.