time for our own guidance, but we thought it might be inconvenient to notify it to the Venezuelans in case by any chance we should, at the last moment, find it impossible to take action at the appointed moment.|| 2. The German Government had suggested that the Representatives of the two Powers should, after our demands had been refused, leave Carácas, and go either to La Guayra or on board a ship of war. We thought it better that they should be authorized to leave Carácas as soon as the ultimatum had been presented, but it might be left to their discretion to decide when they should leave and where they should go. || 3. We observed that the German Government proposed to claim an immediate payment of 1700 000 bolivars, equal to 66 275 7., in satisfaction of their ,,first rank" claims. Our first rank claims would probably not exceed 10000 l., and we thought it only fair that the cash payment to be made to each Government by the Venezuelan Government should be of the same amount. We should, therefore, ask for the same sum as that demanded by the German Government, as a payment on account towards the satisfaction of the total of our claims, which would reach a very large sum. Besides these three points, there was the question of the measures of coercion which might be resorted to in the event of the seizure of the Venezuelan gun-boats proving ineffectual. || I thought however that, if points 1, 2 and 3 could be satisfactorily disposed of, we might, without waiting for a settlement of this further question, take the steps which were necessary with a view to the presentation of the ultimatum and the preparation of the coercive measures which would be necessary if it was disregarded by the Venezuelan Government. || His Excellency agreed with me as to this, but thought we must be prepared to resort to some further measures of coercion in the event of the seizure of the gun-boats proving insufficient. || In this I concurred, telling his Excellency that His Majesty's Government fully recognized that such ulterior measures might be inevitable, and that we should have to come to an agreement for their adoption in one form or another. We then had some discussion as to the sequence in which the different steps which would be necessary might be taken by the two Governments, and I promised his Excellency that I would send him a short note describing those steps in chronological order. I subsequently sent him the Memorandum of which a copy is attached to this despatch.

Anlage.
Memorandum.

The Senior Naval Officers should be instructed to confer together, and to settle their plan of operations for seizing the gun-boats. They should also be instructed to have a ship or ships in readiness at La Guayra to take on board, if necessary, the British and German Representatives. 2. Mr. Haggard and Baron Pilgrim should be instructed to present the ultimatum. It should be left to their discretion to decide when they should leave Carácas, and whether they should remain at La Guayra or go on board man-of-war there. It might, however, without tying them down to any particular course, be suggested that they should wait twenty-four hours in Carácas after the presentation of the ultimatum. They should, announce their departure by notes to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and state that British and German interests were left in charge of ——. || They might then wait another twenty-four hours at La Guayra or on board the vessel. || 3. If, at the expiration of the forty-eight hours, no satisfactory answer should have been received, the Representatives should so inform the Senior Naval Officers. || The latter should be instructed, on receiving this intimation from the Representatives, to proceed at once to the seizure of the gun-boats.

Foreign Office, November 26, 1902.

Nr. 12897. FRANKREICH. Der Botschafter in London an den englischen Minister des Ausw. Frankreichs Rechte auf die Zölle Venezuelas.

L'Ambassadeur de France a fait connaître à son Gouvernement les intentions que lui a manifestées Mercredi dernier, 26 Novembre, Lord Lansdowne relativement aux affaires du Venezuela. || Le Gouvernement Britannique paraît disposé à recourir à une action navale; dans le cas où celle-ci devrait aboutir à une main-mise sur les Douanes Vénézuéliennes, le Gouvernement de la République aurait des réserves à formuler. || En effet, aux termes du Traité Franco-Vénézuélien du 26 Novembre, 1885 (De Clerc, Tome XV, supplément, p. 903), Article 2:,,La somme de 493 970 fr. 92 c., à laquelle s'adjoindra ultérieurement le montant des indemnités allouées par la Commission Mixte instituée par la présente Convention, sera couverte au moyen de la quote-part proportionnelle attribuée mensuellement à la France dans la répartition du 13 pour cent des quarante unités douanières affectées par le Venezuela aux créances

diplomatiques. Cette quote-part mensuelle ne pourra être inférieure au chiffre de . . . ., &c". || En outre, de nouvelles indemnités doivent être payées au Gouvernement Français au moyen de la même dette diplomatique d'après un Arrangement signé à Paris le 19 Février, 1902. || Il résulte de ces Conventions qu'une main-mise sur les ressources de la Douane Vénézuélienne porterait préjudice aux intérêts Français. || L'Ambassadeur de France signale cette situation à l'attention de sa Seigneurie le Secrétaire d'État pour les Affaires Étrangères.

Ambassade de France à Londres.

Nr. 12898. GROSSBRITANNIEN. - Der Minister des Ausw. an den Gesandten in Caracas. Er soll ein Ultimatum überreichen.

Foreign Office, December 2, 1902.

(Telegraphic.) || Your telegram of the 17th ultimo. || In answer to the Venezuelan note, you should address a written communication to the Venezuelan Minister for Foreign Affairs, pointing out that, with regard to the „Ban Righ", His Majesty's Government have given full explanations, and have shown that on this account there is no legitimate ground of complaint. Nor do they consider that there is any justification for attributing blame to the authorities at Trinidad, who only acted in accordance with instructions. || You should then state that His Majesty's Government also regret the situation which has arisen, but that they cannot accept the note as in any degree a sufficient answer to your communications, or as indicating an intention on the part of the Venezuelan Government to meet the claims which His Majesty's Government have put forward, and which must be understood to include all well-founded claims which have arisen in consequence of the late civil war and previous civil wars, and of the maltreatment or false imprisonment of British subjects, and also a settlement of the external debt. You will request the Venezuelan Government to make a declaration that they recognize in principle the justice of these claims, that they will at once pay compensation in the shipping cases, and in the cases where British subjects have been falsely imprisoned or maltreated, and that as to other claims, they will be prepared to accept the decisions of a Mixed Commission with regard to the amount and the security for payment to be given. || You should express a hope that the Venezuelan Government will comply with these demands, and not compel His Majesty's Government to take steps to obtain satisfaction. You should add that His Majesty's Government have been in

formed of the claims of the German Government against Venezuela, that the two Governments have agreed to act together in order to obtain a settlement of all their claims, and that His Majesty's Government will require the immediate payment of a sum equal to that which may in the first instance be paid to the German Government. Any balance after the discharge of pressing claims will be held on account for the liquidation of the claims which will go before the Commission. || You should make it quite clear that this communication must be regarded in the light of an ultimatum. || You will confer with your German colleague and act in close conjunction with him. Subject to any modifications which, after conferring with him, you may consider necessary, you should proceed as follows: the presentation of notes must be simultaneous, and should take place on the 7th instant. If no satisfactory answer is received in the course of twenty-four hours, you and your colleague should leave Carácas for La Grayra. On leaving, you should send a note to the Minister for Foreign Affairs announcing your departure, and stating that British interests have been placed in charge of the United States' Minister. You should await answer at La Guayra for another twenty-four hours, and if none arrives you should intimate this to the Senior Naval Officer at Port of Spain, who will have received instructions on hearing from you to proceed to active measures. One of His Majesty's ships will be at La Guayra on the 6th instant, and it is left to your discretion whether you go on board at once on arrival there or wait until after the second interval of twenty-four hours has elapsed. If convenient, accommodation on board His Majesty's ship can, of course be offered to the German Chargé d'Affaires.

Nr. 12899. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

Der Botschafter in Rom an den Minister des Ausw. Italien will an der Aktion teilnehmen.

Rome, December 3, 1902. (December 3.) (Telegraphic.) || This afternoon the Minister for Foreign Affairs spoke to me on the subject of Venezuela. He said that he had gathered that a strong representation was about to be made to that Government by His Majesty's Government, and that coercion might have to be resorted to. As the Venezuelan Government had also given Italy just cause for complaint, he had taken steps to inform the United States' Government that Italy might find it necessary to take coercive measures, and had received a very satisfactory reply. Although the Italian Government

were not disposed to take the initiative in such action he would, for many reasons, gladly join in any steps taken by His Majesty's Government, if your Lordship were likely to view such a proposal favourably. In reply to his request for my personal opinion on this point, I told him that, speaking personally, such a suggestion might not, I thought, find your Lordship altogether unprepared. I added that as I understood that His Majesty's Government and the German Government were acting in accord, no time should be lost if he contemplated proposing to join in any steps taken by them. || Signor Prinetti then said that he would send instructions to the Italian Ambassador in London. His Excellency added, that an Italian man-of-war was now in Venezuelan waters, and that telegraphic instructions to proceed south immediately could be sent to a second, which was now in North American waters.

Your Excellency, || I have given careful consideration to the Memorandum which you were good enough to leave here on the 28th ultimo, calling attention to the Treaty between France and Venezuela of 1885, and the Protocol signed at Paris this year, by which proportion of the Venezuelan Maritime Customs is assigned to the French creditors. || In reply, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that His Majesty's Government are fully aware of the nature of the French claims upon a portion of the revenue derived from the Maritime Customs of Venezuela. In any measures to which His Majesty's Government may resort for the purpose of inforcing their claims against the Venezuelan Government, care will be taken that French interests are not prejudiced.

Lansdowne.

Nr. 12901. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

Der Minister des Ausw. an

den Botschafter in Rom. Unterredung mit dem italienischen Botschafter über Italiens Mitwirkung.

Foreign Office, December 5, 1902

(Extract.) || I discussed with the Italian Ambassador to-day the question of Italian participation in the measures about to be adopted by Great Britain and Germany against Venezuela. || His Excellency told me

Staatsarchiv LXVIII.

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