Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-11
Agreement with Venezuela
Will Soon Be Reached.
Asphalt Controversy Now the
Only Serious Issue in Case.
Form OF Arbitration and Few De-
tails Remain to Be Settled.

Washington, Feb. 1O-The secretary
of state has heard nothing from Spc-
cial Plenipotentiary William l. Buch-
anan in Venezuela for several Gays.
and does not expect to hear from hlm
again until he has something definite
to report. He has his instructions and
is acting upon them. The President
and secretary have perfect faith in his
ability and Judgment and also Ill ms
powers of persuasion, winch thFE
think. are sufficient to bring President
Gomez and Senior Guinan. the minister
OF foreign affairs, to our way OF thihk-
ing. All that lies between the TWO
countries is an honest difference 81
opinion as to the method which shall
be used to determine the justice of the
claim now pending. Both countries
have already agreed to arbitrate. ana
il remains to be decided what form
that arbitration shall take and what
questions shall be submitted.
There has been an agreement IN the
one case The government OF Nen"-
zuela will pay $4,000 TO \. +. Jaurett,
an adventurer. who wanted S2o,ooo
damages for being expelled from the
country.
The newsnarer dispatches seem to
indicate that an agreement has also
Teen reached in three other cases
which leaves the claim of the Der
mudeZ Asphalt Co. alone in contro-
versy, and there is a newspaper dis
ratch to the effect that an agreement
is now being arranged privately be-
tween the representatives OF That com
Irany and the Venezuelan government
| but tho department of state has no in
| formation on that subject. The lates,
Official information was that Mr.. Bu-
chanan was insisting that the entire
| transaction of that company, lnclud-
| ing the charge that it had financed 6
revolution against the government
should be arbitrated
A concession held by this company
was declared forfeited by the govern
ment on the ground that the company
had not complied with its terms. Tbs
company then organized revolution
| which failed, and the courts of Ven
eZuela for that reason imposed upoi
| it fine of $5,000000. The department
Of state has no information as to tbs
delay in this case except that tho
| United States demands the arbitration
of the entire controversy.
| In the case of the OrinocO STEAMSHIP
co. there seems to be an agreement
| This case has already been arbitratet
| by the Venezuelan claims commission
of 1903, but the claimants insist tina
| it's decision was neither according t.
| the law nor the facts. The question
now is whether that decision shall b.
| submitted to review. Both countries
| have agreed on that point, and If :
| tribunal selected from The Hagu
shall say that the previous judgmen
was just, its word shall be final. Blu
If The Hague tribunal shall find tina
there was Il denial of justice the cas'
will be arbtrated again on its merits
| 1t is an interesting fact that in 1868 sev
eral claims against Venezuela which hat
| been decided in favor of the United State:
were reopencd at the request of Vene
| zucla because of suspicion of fraud an(
| submitted to an impartial tribunal u few
years later. The judgment in severa
cases was reversed and several million
dollars was saved to Venezuela
What is known as the OrinOco Corpora
| ton had a concession for lands granted
| by the Venezuelan government which for
| mer President Castro Cancelled on the
| round that the company had not com
| piled with its terms. The company ap
pealed to the courts of Venezuela which
sustained Castro and decided that the
| forfeiture was just and according to law
Our government requests that tho ontir
case be presented on its merits to an i'm
partial tribunal selected from The Hague
| in which neither countries shall be repre-
scented. Venezuela wants to arbitrate
only the question whether there has been
a denial of justice by it's courts.
The fourth cause of controversy is the
9ase of man named Crichfield, whose
concession for a RAILROAD and an asphalt
nine provided that the property SHOULD
he exempt from taxation. Contrary to
rause Crichfield would not pay the as
sessment President Castro Cancelled the
concession and seized the property There
is no allegation of fraud, but Crichfield
.cntends that the seizure of his property
was arbitrary and unjust. This case has
never been before the Venezuelan courts.
which that government claims have full,
jurisdiction under a clause of the CON
tract by which Crichfield agreed to sub
nit all questions that might arise to the
local courts. We want to arbitrate before
an impartial tribunal selected from Ths
Hague
TAKES 1T RACK