The sun., 1908-06-24
U.S.ENVOYSLEAVE VENEZUELA
DIPLOMATIC RELATEONS ARE
BROKEN OFF.

Jacob w. Sleeper. Secretary Of Legaeson
! as Caracas. to Depart--EHaye Been on
Gunboat-AnaiFs Put I'm the Hands of
the Brazilians-Castr Causes Fuss.
WASHINGTON, June 2s.-Diplomatic re-
lations with Venezuela have. been proc
tioally broken of and the affairs Of ths United
States Legation ct Caracas have been placed
In the hands Of Brazil. The State Depart
ment was advised to-day that the gunhcaS
Marietta had sailed from Porto Cabello
to-day for La Guayra. Jacob Sleeper.
Secretary OF Legation and Charge d'AGairss
and the attaches will be taken on board
there. They will be taken probably to Nor
folk and will report to Washington. accord.
ing to orders. w. W. Russell. American
Minister to Venezuela. has been in the
United States for several months on leave
Of absence.
Thomas P. Moffatt, former American.
Consul at La Guayra. recently got leave
OF absence from his post because Of the
prevalence of bubonio plague there. and he
since has been transferred to Bluefelds,
Nicaragua.
The action Of the United States In with
drawing its principal diplomatic and con-
sular officers in Venezuela is due to the fact
that there Is no reason for maintaining
further diplomatic negotiations with Presi-
dent Castro. Last winter Secretary Root
used every possible diplomatic means to
force President Castro to submit the Ave
pending claims between Venezuela and
the United States to arbitration, but Castro
declined.
At the request of the Administration
Senator Lodge introduced a resolution
asking for all the information and corre-
spondence with Venezuela IN regard TO the
pending claims. This resolution was passed
and President Roosevelt sent to the Senate
a large mass Of papers, documents and
letters in the controversy. After MIR. Root
had submitted proposition to President
Castro for the arbitration Of all claims and
failed to get action he submitted each claim
separately. This plan also met with re-
fusal. and since then there has been no
diplomatic correspondence between tho two
nations.
It was said here that the action OF the
United States in severing diplomatic rela-
tions with Venezuela is not intended a. q
threat. but under the existing condition Of
affairs the State Department does not care
to risk the lives OF its diplomatic officers in
Venezuela. where plague is prevalent. and
while it is felt they can serve no useful
purpose.
The withdrawal Of the last American
official is believed. however. to be FORE
runner Of an intention to induce Congress
at its next session to authorize coercive
tariff measures to force Castro into SUBJ
mission.
At the last session of Congress there was
some sentiment among members OF tho
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations In
favor of forcing Castro to terms by placing
a prohibitive duty upon Venezuelan articles
imported into the United States. No action
was taken because the party leaders were
unwilling to force the Venezuelan question
on the eve Of a Presidential campaign,
and also because there appeared to be no
public sentiment In this country to support
such radical course.
The people exhibited little interest after
the publication of the question in dispute.
and unless there is public movement
there Is little likelihood Of any drastic action.