THE VENEZUELAN CRISIS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1611, 14 January 1903, Page 23

THE VENEZUELAN CRISIS

NEW YORK, January 5.

Tlie National Bank of Venezuela has suspended payment* The Government is, in consequence, unable to pay the troops. President Castro declares that he will neither abdicate nor resign. NEW YORK, January 6. The shipping captured at Puerto Cabello included fifteen large sailing vessels. Fifteen hundred Revolutionists who were marching on Caracas have been defeated. Mr Hay, Secretary of State, champions a claim for damages by the American steamer Caracas,, whicn, while permitted to enter the port of La Guayra, was compelled to withdraw each night. The ground of the claim is that the allies were interfering with the discharge of cargo. The Caracas left New York on 13th December, and was entitled to ten days’ grace under the laws regulating blockade. Notwithstanding this, she was compelled to discharge the Ljik of her cargo at Willemstad, in the island of Curacoa. NEW YORK, January 7. The allies have informed the Hon. John Hay. United States Secretary ofState, of their willingness to confer with Venezuela with a view to settling preliminaries prior to submitting the case to the Hague Arbitration Tribunal-. The blockade is to continue until President Castro accepts the conditions provided on the previous point. In the Note a hope is expressed that certain claims will he settled without the intervention of the Hague Court. NEW YORK. January 9. An Italian cruiser is blockading Coro, a Venezuelan port on the north coast. Venezuelans complain of Germany’s contradictory demands, which, they say, are made designedly irritating, with a view to inspiring a belief tha.t the seizure of territory is contemplated. LONDON, January 6. The German cruiser. Sperber haa started from Kiel for Venezuela. Berlin favours dilatory negotiations with Venezuela, buf Wasnington desires to arrive at an agreement as regards arbitration, with a view to ending the blockade. ( The views of the two Cabinets diverge more widely dally. Americans, commenting upon the attacks on the Monroe doctrine, declare that some of the German animosity for England has been transferred to America. Venezuelan despatches show that German bondholders agreed to support the rebels in Venezuela if the latter would promise reparation and undertake to appoint an Anglo-German Commission if they were successful. Emperor William championed the bondholders, and cajoled Britain.