The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-28
CRUISER ORDERED
 ID VENEZUELA Holland Proposes to Protect
 Her Subjects ALL COUNTRIES WATCHING Owing to the Fact That Venezuela Still Owes Debts to Several Nations,
 Outcome of Trouble Will
 Be Closely Watched.
ALL COUNTRIES WATCHING .

Willemstad, Island of Curacoa, July 2H The serious nature of the situation that has arisen between the Netherlands and Venezuela was emphasized today by the issuance of orders to the Dutch cruiser Gelderland to proceed at once to Yene-
 zuela to protect Dutch interests there.
 The Gelderland arrived here with J. D. De Reus, the Netherlands minister res ident at Caracas on board, who was dismissed from Venezuela by President
 Castro. It was only a few hours after
 the cruisers arrival that the order for
 an immediate return to Venezuela was
 received.
 The departure of the Venezuelan con-
 sul, Senor Lopez, has resulted in cessa-
 tion of the riots which grew out of the
 Venezuelan sentiment on Saturday and Sunday The city is now calm, and
 the troops, which were patrolling the
 streets, have been withdrawn to their
 barracks
 Washington, July 27.-Considerabe cu-
 riosity exists in Washington as to
 whether the Dutch government, in dis patching the cruiser Gelderland to Vene-
 uela, contemplates any further steps
 than merely the protection of Dutch in- terests in that country" This is rather
 an elastic term, and may be called upon to cover wide latitude of action. It Is possible that the Netherlands govern
 ment, in view of the anti-Venezuelan
 demonstrations in Willemstadt on Satur- day and Sunday, fear reprisals by Vene- zuelans on Hollatd ders residing in that country, and think it best to have avail able a warship in case of emergency. Curacoa's merchants claim to have suf fered financial loss as a result of various orders of President Castro since the pre- valence of the bubonic plague. but it Is not believed here that the Dutch govern ment expects to take any retaliatory steps in Venezuela to try to redress such grievances.
 At any rate, whatever the plan may be- Holland has not communicated her in- tentions to this government, and nothing indicative of her course Is known off cially in Washington. It is pointed out here if Holland contemplates taking meas ures against Venezuela there are several European countries, well as America, whose wishes should first be considered Venezuela has been for some time pay ing monthly installments on her foreign debt, the result of an arbitration ar ranged years ago by American Minister Bowen, when the allied powers of Europe blockaded the principal ports of Venezuela and threatened to take more forceful measures because of President Castro's refusal to meet his obligations. The countries party to the arbitration naturally would want something to say 1 if steps are to be taken by Holland that 1 would stop the monthly installments now paid by Venezuela.
 In official circles attention is also called to the misapprehension which ap- pears to prevail in regard to the Monroe doctrine in the discussion of relations of European governments toward the coun- tries south of us. As stated by President Roosevelt in his first message to Congress that the doctrine is a declartion that there must be no territorial aggrandize- ment by any non-American power at the expense of any American power on Amer ican soil. It Is no wise intended as hos tile to any nation in the world, said the
 president. Particular reference Is made to the following paragraph, which has a
 bearing in the present instance:
 This doctrine has nothing to do with 1 the relations of any American powers save that it, in truth, allows each of l them to form such as it desires. In l other words, 1t is really guaranty Of ] the commercial independence of the | Americas. We do not ask under the | doctrine for any exclusive commercial l dealings with any other American state | We do not guarantee any state against punishment if it misconducts itself, pro. | viding that punish ment does not take 1 the form of the acquisition of territory | by any non-American power.