The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-03-31

Drastic action will very Iikeiy % d.
rected against President Castro and his
Venezuelan government by the United
States Congress, after its consideration
cf the correspondence concerning the
American claims transmitted to It to-
DAY by Secretary OF State Root.
The correspondence deals with FIVE
claims, the most important OF which is
that Of the New York and Bermudez
Company over the asphalt deposits OF
the South American republic. Among
lhe documents IN this case, Is the re
port OF Special Commissioner W. J. Cal
noun, appointed by President Roosevelt,
upon the conclusions Of which Congress-
Will probably base its action.
This charges, substantially, that Presi-
DENT Castro, after dispOSsessing the
ccmpanS Of its lands, seized its property
without rignt Or legal warrant, and, by
the appointment OF his own agent as
receiver, continued 10 work the asphalt
deposit exclusively for his or his gov
ernments benefit
Commissioner Calhoun in his report
nnds that the cOmpany's right under
the title acquired. according 10 tho land
and mining laws OF the country was
eminent OF Venezuela has seized and
stIll holds the property" in doing which
II ignored title which il had previous
y granted. aad the validity OF which
Tax Levied Unfairly.
II holds also that the assessment of
S0,00O0OO damages against the Ber-
mudez Company, for failure to carry out
its contract, and Tor alleged participa-
ton in the Matos revolution, was made
without the company having a hearing,
and without any sufficient evidence OF
the existence of the facts upon which
the assessment is based
In my judgment, Commissioner Cal
houn declares, this assessment IS q
traYesty, a farce, and il is not justified
by any principle Of law. by any rule
Of practice known 10 the courts Of any
civilized country. or by any principle
Of common sense or common justice"
The land title Of the Bermudez Com
pany," he continues, gives it the fee
to the lands described, for which 1t actu-
ally paid money consider alton to the
government. The mining title was ac-
QuiTed under the mining laws OF the
country, and vested in the company the
exclusive possession and right Of opera
ticn for a term Of ninety-nlne years
These titles. as before stated. were ig-
nored in tie sequestraticn proceedings,
and the continued possession Of the
property by the government IS IN con-
travention thereof
Commissioner Calhoun does not take
up the multi colored web Of incidents
that are an Outgrowth OF the dispute.
and which involve plotting. revolution,
and in some instances tragedy. OF these
he says:
MANY charges and counter-charges
of combination and conspiracy. fraud
and corruption, have been made by both
sides to the controversy. 1t would be
an endless, and, I believe. a frustless
task. TO investigate and analyze these
conflicting charges. and TO sift the
truth therefrCn. In my Investigations
1 disregarded them and confined myself
to a study Of the record. The result
OF that study Is given without prefer
ence for or prejudice against eeIther
side
Arbitration Is Rejected.
Repeated proposals by the State De-
parjment TO submit the matter 70 ar
bitratiOn have been sumariiy re ect-
ed by Castro. Secretary Root has ex-
hausted every diplomatic recourse to
bring about settlement. At the Instance
Of Senator Lodge, the Senate called for
the correspondence in the case. and tho
matter is now in its hands for decis-
Ion.