The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-09-28
HOW 7. R. CALLED
KAISER'S BLUFF
Forced Arbitration on Venezuela
Affair by Threatening to
Send Dewey.
BERNSTORFF AS PLOT CHIEF
Inside Story About Uitimatum Giving
German Fleet Three Hours to
Leave Related by Colonel Dur
ing Visit at Chicago.

Chicago, Sept. 2S.-Painting Ger
many as the arch foe of the world, as
nation drunk with power and with
the sword as. It's God, Col. Theodore
Roosevelt told the inside story Of the
Venezuelan incident when, as presi-
dent he gave Germany three days in
which TO getits warShips out Of Vene-
Zuelan waters or face a fight with
Dewey
The story was told on the spur Of
the moment at luncheon given for
the ionel at the New Morrison hotel
by the local branch OF the National Sc
curity league.
The luncheon preceded the colOnels
departure from the city for Fort Sheri-
dan and the Great Lakes naval train
ing station, where he later addressed
the embryo army officers and seamen.
From the military reservations the
colonel went to Racine, Wis.
Colonel Roosevelt said:
''It was about year after came In
Germany was the main opponent Of the
Monroe doctrine She was loudly deny
ing that there was such doctrine, and
was trying to turn South America into
German appanage.
There was trouble in Venezuela,
which was then under Castro. / did
not object to Germany spanking Cas-.
tro, who was not a nice citizen. His
, fellOw-countrymen called him the
monkey OF the Andes But I did not
intend that in spanking Castro, Ger.
many should make Venezuela Ger
man possession.
Let Hay Write Few Notes.
81 let Hay write a reasonable num-
Der Of notes. Note writing is not q
form Of mental exercise that / am de-
voted to- Finally 1 told Hay that
would handle it myself. told the Ger.
man ambassador to come in, and
said:
"'This Venezuelan business has gone
far enough. We don't want to let il
come to a point where it will make
trouble between our countries. YOr
have your fleet down there, and We
must have an understanding that yor
cannot take possession of a single foo
Of Venezuelan territory
HE said: We won't take perma
nent possession I said: oh, no, Of
course not, but we are not going tt
allow any temporary possession FOL
ninety-nine years or So He said
But 1 cannot discuss that l said
I don't want you to discuss 1T. Jus
tell your government that in ten day!
they must arbitrate or l will sent
Dewey down with our feet to see tha
you don't take q foot Of Venezuelan
SOIL
a message. You do not realize wha
1t means I said: oh, yes, I do
We're alone here and / can say 1t
You are afraid it may mean war 81
said: This Is awful. 1t will be ter
rible for your country and 1 said
Yes, but 1t will be more unpleasan
for yours
Deweys Fleet in Readiness.
Then Colonel Roosevelt explained
that he had sent Dewey with his flee
to the West Indies on friendly
cruise, and notified him to be ready t.
can feet was then stronger than Ger
many's. England was supposed to b,
backing Germany up, but he paid n
attention TO England, because he wa
sure her heart was not In 1T. In
week the German ambassador callet
on Colonel Roosevelt and made no RET
erence to the ultimatum. The presi
dent asked whether the message ha,
been transmitted. The ambassador re
piled that he had not taken the presi
dent seriously and he was sure hi
country would not arbitrate.
Colonel Roosevelt continued:
'I said there were three days Of tn
ten left, and that unless l got an an
swer within forty-eight hours, Dewe
would sail In thirtysix hours tn
ambassador called on me and nOtifie
me that his country wished me to al
bitrate between them and Venezuela.