THE CASE AGAINST VENEZUELA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11494, 29 January 1903, Page 4

THE CASE AGAINST VENEZUELA.

It is possible that many of our readers are not very clear as to the exact nature of the claims which have brought Great Britain into conflict with Venezuela. The extracts from the official correspondence, which we published yesterday, while explaining the steps which led up to the blockade, did not detail the existing causes of complaint. It may therefore be well to give some particulars of these complaints, in order that the reason for the strong measures adopted may be the more clearly understood. The chief cause of complaint, as set out in a Parliamentary paper, is "that tho liberty and property "of British subjects have in a succession "of cases been interfered with in a wholly " unwarrantable manner by the Venezuelan "Government." The series of cases extended from January, 1901, until October last. The first was the seizure,"" by the Venezuelan gunboat Augusto, of British subjects who were on board trading boats at Patos Island, waiting for the tide, on their way to Port of Spain. l Armed Venezuelans collected the cargoes of the boats, one of which belonged to a British subject, and the passengers were in some cases deported, and in others left on the island without food or water. A month later—February 26th, 1901—a fishing boat belonging to John Craig, a British subject, put in at Patoe Island, and Craig and his crew of Trinidad fishermen went ashore. They were followed by the crew of a Venezuelan coastguard vessel, who beat one of the fishermen, fired at. another, and then seized the boat and its contents, and left Craig and his men destitute on the eland. Another case which occurred in January, 1901, was the seizure and burning of the sloop Maria Theresa, owned by a British subject. In August of the same year a Venezuelan Revenue boat fired on the eloop Pastor in British waters, seized her cargo, and made prisoners of her cxew. The Pastor was a Venezuelan-owned vessel, and suspected of being a smuggler, nevertheless this act of aggression is regarded by the British Government as a violation of British territorial waters. In January, 1902, the Bri-tisli-owned sloop Indiana was seized in the river Barima on an unsupported charge of smuggling, and in May last the British d«sijeved_bjLtk?_ Vene-

zwlan gunboat General Creepo in the harbour of Pedernales "without any provocation or justification." A ft ill more flagrant instance of Venezuelan interference with British subjects and property was the case of the ship Queen. Thie vessel was seized in June last by the Venetian gunboat ResUurador some twenty miles off Carupano, while on her voyage from Grenada to Trinidad in ballast. The sworn evidence shows "that after the seizure the "Queen was towed into the Venezuelan " port of Porlamar, there stripped of her " sails and papers, and finally confiscated, en " a mere suspicion of having carried a, cargo "of arms to Venezuela, the citw being put "on store and '.eft destitute." One more outraga. may be mentioned. In September last the British sloop Racer, after being dismantled by a squall, was boarded by aimed Venezuelans. The captain and c«w were robbed of all they possessed, and wlu'n the sloop arrived at Carupano it was seized by the Customs authorities. According to Mr Haggard, tha British Minister, "tho treat"m?n* accorded at to the Racer xriz worse than that formerly given by ".wreckers in savage districts.' . Apart from tbes3 cases of interference with the libciTty and property of British subjects, there are two other da»es of claims —thoso for injury to British property in th*> last two revolutions, and those of the British bondJholders to whom money i> - owing b\th3 Venezuelan Government. It was, however, tho acts of outrage already detailed, and not the pecuniary claims, which prompted Greait Britain, after fruitless negotiations with President Castro, to take strong measures m conjunction with Germany. There can be no doubt tlmt the conduct, of Venezuela has amply merited t*evene reprisals. From a diplomatic point of view, however, there is no doubt it is very much to be regretted that we are associated with Germany in the matter.