Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-05-26

in Venezuela at the request of Ven
ezuela by German capital at a cost oil
$20.000.000. Venezuela had guaran.
teed the interest on that $20,000.0OO
1t was not paying 1t. When pressed,
it added a moral delinquency to its
financial delinquency. 1t not only re-
fused to pay, but 1t refused to enter
into any effective plan looking toward
payment. Germany had good case
and Venezuela had very poor one.
At last, on December s. 1902, Ger
many broke of diplomatic relations
with Venezuela, and SO did Great
Britain. Already the fleets of Ger
many and of Great Britain, and also
of Italy, had established blockade in
Venezuelan waters. Certain war ves-
sells belonging to Venezuela were cap
tured and the town of Puerto Cabello
was bombarded.
Roosevelt did not attempt to make
the United States take a public pose
as Sovereign of the Caribbean. He
launched no public fiat" His inter
probation of the Monroe Doctrine was
moderate. 1t was moderate not only
in its rhetoric but also in its essence.
In his message of December 3. 1901,
glancing at the Venezuelan dispute.
he said: I'VE do not guarantee any
state against punishment II it miscon-
reason to be pleased with this recog-
milton of its rights.
At the same time, in order that
there might be no misunderstanding
of the one vital part of the Monroe
Doctrine. Roosevelt added provided
the punishment does not take the form
Of the acquisition Of territory by any
non-American power"
At first it seemed that Germany was
content to abide by this proviso. On
December IL, 1901. the German am
bassador at Washington stated that
his government had mo purpose or
intention to make even the smallest
acquisition of territory on the South
American continent or the islands ad-
jacent." 1t later appeared. however.
that Acquisition" In this statement
meant permanent acquisition" Ger
many would make no acquisition that
was permanent. 1t did not consider IT.
self bound to make no acquisition that
was temporary. In fact, 1t was look
ing forward to such an acquisition.
Roosevelt at once objected. He re-
called the fact that in China there
were many temporary" acquisitions
of territory by foreign powers and
that in all such cases the word TEN
porary" seemed to mean while time
lasts" Notes ensued. They contin-
ued to ensue. They threatened to
keep Washington reading and writing
till the Germans had landed on Ven
ezuelan soil Roosevelt laid down his
pen and sent sor the German ambas-
sador and determined to get the mat
ter settled personally without one
word more on paper.
Roosevelt told Won Holleben, the
German ambassador. that he wanted
Assurances" He told him that
Dewey was maneuvering in the Carib-
bean; that the assurances" in question
would be expected to arrive from Ber-
lin within ten days; that II they did
not arrive Dewey would be ordered to
sail southward and ito see that no pos
session. even temporary. was taken OF
any place in Venezuela" Won Holle-
ben replied that his government would
certainly refuse to give the United
States the assurance" requested.
A week later Won Holleben visited
the White House TO speak OF another
matter. He spoke OF II and turned to
leave Roosevelt: Have you heard
anything from Berlin about Vene-
zuela?" Won Holleben: No" Roose-
welt: 1T will not be necessary then
for me to wait through all the re-
naming three days. ! will wait just
twenty-four hours more. Twenty
four hours from now Dewey will SAIL
Al the end of twelve hours Won Hol-
lehen returned to the White House
and said that he had heard from Ber-
lin and that he now had the honor
to request the President OF the United
States to act as arbitrator in the set
Element of the differences which had
unfortunately arisen between the Ger
man government and the government
of Venezuela.
The point is not that Germany
capitulated. Its position was unten-
able, and It could not avoid capituiat-
ing. The point is that one of the most
dangerous and one OF the most de-
cisiye moments In the history of the
international relations of the United
States passed by without one public
act or one public word to open the
slightest rift in the cordial popular
friers'ship between the United States
and the foreign nation concerned.
-Four Lessons to Europe"
II turned out. after all, that Roose-
welt did not do the arbitrating be-
tween Germany and Venezuela. The
Hague Court was in existence. 1t
needed business. Roosevelt had al
ready given 1t its first case. That
was a dispute between the United
States and Mexico in the year 1902
over THE Pious Fund of the Cali
tornias." II amounted to claim
against Mexico by certain American
Roman Catholic bishops. The Hague
CouFt decided that Mexico was to
pay those bishops an immediate lump
sum of s1.400,000 and future annual
sum of $4,000, Mexican money.
Roosevelt now gave The Hague
Court the Venezuelan dispute. In so do
ing. he won special word of praise
from the most distinguished of French
Pacifsts, Baron d'Estournelles de
Constant, who. few years later. in
summing up Roosevelt's greatest con.
tributions to realistic Pacitism, said: