EVROPEAN NATIONS
COERCE VENEZUELA
Great Britain and Germany at War With South American
Republic.
WARSHIPS SEIZED AND SVNK IN LA GVAYRA HARBOR BY ALLIED EVRCPEAN FLEETS
President Cn.stro Issues Letter of Defiance and Calls All Citizens to Arms British and
German Residents Arrested and Imprisoned—Washington Authorities Are on the Alert.
Affairs in the controversy between
Great Britain, Germany and Venezu
ela reached a crisis Dec. 8, when
Great Britain and Germany present
ed ultimatums to the Venezuelan gov
ernment. Immediately afterward the
British minister. W. H. D. Haggard,
and the German charge d’affaires,
Von Pilgrim-Baltazzi, closed their em
bassies and proceeded to La Guayra,
where they went aboard the British
cruiser Retribution and the German
cruiser Vineta, respectively.
The British and German diplomats
TVfZTUe,
WLAH,
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ojejdseye pjsaw/a/g or HO&rt/EJ&v coast or \'E7vu2Ti'jrL*
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Scene of Operation* on the Venezuelan Coast.
quitted Venezuela almost secretly.
They did not notify the Venezuelan
government of their intended depart
ure, fearing a hostile demonstration.
They did not even deliver the ulti
matums according to diplomatic
forms.
The demands of the two govern
ments were simply left at the private
residence of the Venezuelan ministr
pf foreign affairs, Lopez Barralt.
The British demand- is for the set
tlement of claims and other matters
■Hsing out of the last revolutions.
e German demand is for the pay
nt of the interest on the German
n and other claims. The demands
_f without any specifications as to
the time given for an answer, but they
are in the form of an ultimatum.
President Castro, in an open letter
to the people of Venezuela, defends
his own course, and practically defies
the British and German governments.
He says:
“Honorably, I cannot do more. 1
put honor first, and will not seek ex
cuse to disarm foolhardy enmities by
accepting humiliations which would
offend the dignity of the Venezuelan
people, and which wouid not be in
0g*MAN
i GERMAN FLEET—(A) Cruiser Falke, 1,731 tom, 15 guns; (B) cruiser Gazelle, 2,650 tons, 30 guns; (C) gun
boat Panther, 900 tons. 22 guns; (D) cruiser iobe, 2,650 tons, 28 guns; (E) cruiser Ariadne, 2,650 tons, 28 gun;
/ (F) cruiser Amazon, 2,650 tons, 28 guns.
accord with my public life. The cause
of our national dignity is based on
our rights and our possession of jus
tice, and on our relations of friend
ship and mutual respect with foreign
nations.”
December 10 the combined British
and German fleet seized the Venezue
lan fleet, composed of four warships,
jta the harbor of La Guayra. The Ven
suelans made no resistance, not a
shot being fired.
■ On the same day all German and
British subjects in Caracas were ar
rested. The coming of the arrests
lao soon after the hurried departure
lot the representatives of Germany
and England is taken to be more than
!a coincidence. The belief is that both
[envoys bad advance information re
garding President Castro's intent and
^decided to get out of the way.
All the stores and banks at I.a
•Guayra are dosed. Great excitement
[prevails, as the i>opulation fears that
the town may be shelled or other
action taken by the Anglo-German
tvessels.
> All the Venezuelan warships cap
tured were taken outside the harbor
the next day and scuttled.
President Castro has called the peo
ple of Venezuela to arms to resist the
demands of Great Britain and Ger
many. He has cabled messages to
Venezuelan envoys to foreign coun
tries. denouncing as unjust the men
ace of the British and German fleets
and intimating that Venezuela will
meet force with force.
Two hundred and five British and
German citizens have been arrested
his political enemies from prison and
1 pite the efforts of United States Min
ister Bowen to secure their release.
Mobs have partly wrecked the Ger
man embassy and consulate.
British and German flags have been
burned in the streets.
The British and Gorman railroads
to La Guayra and Valencia have been
seized.
President Castro has released all
his political nemies from prison and
restored all estates confiscated during
the recent rebellion.
There was a great patriotic demon
stration at Caracas when the news
arrived that the British and German
warships had seized the Venezuelan
war vessels at La Guayra. Crowds
quickly gathered and paraded the
streets and squares of the capital, dis
playing banners and singing patriotic
songs. Violent speeches were deliv
ered at various points. The populace
marched to the palace of President
Castro, who addressed it.
The mob then moved on to the
German legation, shouting "Death to
the Germans!” The windows were
shattered with stones, and attempts
were made to force the doors, but the
latter resisted these efforts, and Mae.
von Pllgrim-Baltazzl, the wife of the
German charge d'affaires, who has
been ill In bed for the last two months
and therefore could not leave Caracaa
with her husband, was thus saved*
from violence.
The crowd then marched to the
German consulate and then to the
residence of Dr. Koehler, again ston
ing the windows and attempting to
force an entrance. The police made
no effort to disperse the demonstra
tion.
All the British residents were ar
rested except Albert Cherry of the
Venezuela British owned Central rail
way and Mr. Wallace, manager of the
telephone company, who escaped to a
place cf safety.
Ninety-seven German residents were
arrested, among them the German
consul, Valentine Blohm, and Herr
Knoop, the manager of the German
Central railway. Herr Simmross,
chancellor of the German legation,
was met by the police, near Bolivar
square, and also arrested.
On learning these incidents United
States Minister Bowen and Secretary
W. W. Russell went at once to set
President Castro, and after a long con
ference succeeded In obtaining th^
release of Dr. Koehler, Mme. von Pi!*1
grim-Baltazzi's physician, and Consul
Valentine Blohm. Minister Bowen
also obtained the official authoriza
tion of the Venezuelan government to
represent British and German inter
ests during the imbroglip.
WHAT THE CLAIMS ARE.
The principal British creditors
HMU .. ' i HI
whose claims are to be enforced by
the ultimatum against Venezuela are,
according to the New York Tribune's
correspondent in London, railway and
Larbor improvement companies. Some
of these companies complain of de
faults of interest guaranteed by the
Venezuelan government, and another
corporation, which took up an issue
ot bonds, claims that a considerable
amount of unpaid interest is due it.
The German claims are larger In
amount and more varied in their na
ture and the responsibility of the Ven
ezuelan government for the redemp
tion of the obligations is less obvious
in certain sections of the account.
The precautions taken by the Unit
ed States in ordering a strong fleet to
the Venezuelan coast do not escape
attention. It is considered a sign
that the Washington authorities are
on their guard against the taking of
too drastic measures on the part
either of Germany or England for the
collection of a debt from a weak
power distracted with revolution.
As Viewed in Washington.
President Roosevelt's recent utter
ances on the Monroe doctrine in his
message to congress were written with
the Venezuelan matter in view and
probably for the purpose of lndicat
ing to Germany and Great Britain how
far this government was willing they
should proceed in the collection of
the moneys which they are claiming
from Venezuela. It is presumed,
therefore, that President Roosevelt is
ready to meet any emergency which
may arise in the future.
It is regarded as significant that the
great naval maneuvers under Admiral
Dewey which are now going forward
around the island of Porto Rico were
conceived after Great Britain and
Germany had formally announced
their purpose to send hostile fleets to
the Venezuelan coast.
This government Is well prepared
for contingencies. The Navy Depart
ment could on short notice send into
those waters a fleet far stronger than
the combined naval forces of Ger
many and Great Britain, but no war
ship will he sent if it can be avoided
The country's policy has been to hoi*
distinctly aloof from both sides.
BRITISH
A
riJEET.
BRITISH FLEET—(1) Cruiser Indefatigable, 3,600 tons, 44 guns; (2) cruiser Retribution, 3,600 tons, 22
guns; (3) cruiser Charybdis, 4,360 tons, 30 guns; (4) sloop of war Albert, 350 tone, 6 guns; (5) torpedo boat
. destroyer Quail, 300 tons, 6 guns; (6) cruiser Tribune, 3,400 tons, 22 guns; (7) cruiser Ariadne, 44 guns.
NEBRASKA IN GENERAL
>»»»♦
VALUE OF SCHOOL LANDS.
What Commiaaioner Follmer'a Report
Will Show.
The report of lAnd Commissioner
Follmer will show that the schools
of the state will ultimately have more
than $11,000,000 of interest bearing
values contributing to their support.
At present the total Interest bearing
values belonging to the fund is $9,
746,451.25. More than half of this
amount, $5,459,228.25, is In securities
of the state, counties and the recently
purchased bonds of Massachusetts.
The remainder Is made up of the sale
contracts and lease contracts, bearing
interest. Besides this Income the
fund will have the rental of school
lands, which under the present law
cannot be alienated. The table giv
ing these statistics is the first of the
kind ever compiled. It is as follows:
Permanent common school se
curities .$5 ,<772,223. TP
Cash on hand ... 131.30
Total ...*.'>.<<72,353.09
Permanent university securities* 191,060.97
Cash on hand.. 643.05
Total .* 101,894.02
Agricultural college securities.* 224.692.14
Cash balance . 674.51
Total .t 225.366.05
Normal endowment securities.* 69,000.00
Cash balance . 812.49
Total .* 59.812.49
Total educational securities in
permanent school fund.*5.459.228.25
Value of sale contracts. 2.257.2(5.11
Value of lease contracts. 2.029.948.39
Total Interest bearing values.*9,746.451.V5
THE SOLDIERS’ HOME.
Commandant Cole of Grand Island
Makes Report.
Commandant Cole of the soldiers'
home in Grand Island has completed
his biennial report and recommends
quite a number of necessary improve^
ments owing largely to the increased
number of members cared for at the
institution.
The report shows an increase in
membership in the biennium of twen
ty-one per cent over that of two years
previous. On November 30, 1900,
there were, according to the records of
the institution, 342 members. There
were on November 30, 1902. 415 mem
bers, of whom 313 were men and 102
women. Among the recommendations
are $4,000 for a new brick building
for the quartermaster and commis
sary's supplies. This would give room
In the basement of the main building
for another ward for members. An
appropriation of $7,500 Is also recom
mended for better fire protection in
and about the home grounds, includ
ing a better piping of the building
and a pipe leading to the cottages
and lams, resetting the boilers, the
erection of a small building for laun
dry purposes and enlarging the en
gine rooms and improvements on the
sewerage system.
Finds Foods Adulterated.
Deputy Food Commissioner Bassett
has filed with the governor his bien
nial report. The commissioner
speaks of the need of guarding the
public against foods which have been
preserved by the admixture of danger
ous chemicals, such as hydrofloric
acid, a dangerous corrosive, and oth
ers. Out of 228 samples of food pro
ducts analyzed by the chemist of the
food commission, 163 were adulterated
or not sold in compliance with law.
the report stated. The commissioner
desires the legislature to make an ap
propriation to fit up a laboratory so
that he will not be under the neces
sity of using the university, labor
atory, which he has been doing for
the last two years. He recommends
a direct appropriation for the main
tenance of the commission rather than
the present plan of allowing the com
mission to depend upon fees.
Recommends Normal 8choole.
W. F. Fowler, superintendent of in
struction, in the advance sheets of his
report, which will be concluded by
the first of the year, makes the fol
lowing recommendations:
1. Exchange the industrial school
for boys at Kearney with the state
normal school at Peru.
2. Establish a new normal school
at Lincoln.
3. Provide for junior normal schools
at Alliance and McCook.
4. Recognize more liberally the first
class private normal schools and de
nominational colleges of high stand
ard.
In support of the first recommenda
tion, that is, an exchange of the Kear
ney and Peru institutions, he calls at
tention to the dlstanace, lack of rail
road facilities and the expense in
reaching Peru as obstacles to a large
attendance of students there.
Paper Changes Hands.
M’COOK—After editing and publish
ing the Hayes Center Republican for
eighteen years. Judge M. J. Abbott
ha3 bewa compelled to relinquish the
paper to the mortgagee, R. May of
Hayes Center, who will run the pa
per until he can realize on his mort
gage
BRIEFLY TOLD
Two new delivery routes nre soon
to be established at North Bend.
Mr. and Mrs. Jobman of Gage coun
ty last week celebrated their golden
wedding.
Nebraska City has of late been shy
on waier and private wells hive been
resorted to.
Train Dispatcher f* El Cairn ®f Mc
Cook died suddenly In Salt l^ake,
whither he had gone for his health.
Ruftu Hook, a farmer living near
Glencoe, had his arm caught in the
cogs of a corn sheller and sustained
serious injuries.
The Republican valley district poul
try association will hold its sixth an
nual exhibition in McCook December
31, 1902, January 1. 2, 3, 1903.
The Fremont and Blair high schools
will debate the question. "Resolved,
That labor unions are an Injury to the
public." Fremont will have the choice
of sides.
Miss Gertrude Enlow, a teacher in
the public schools of Beatrice, had her
face and hands badly burned durirj
school hours by the explosion of a
coal tsove.
John Thompson, who lived two
miles southwest of Blair, was re-*
ove. by a train and killed. He was
on his way home from Blair. Thomp
son was al)OUt 45 years old and single.
Orders were received in Nebraska
City to get things ready in the starch
works so as to start that monster
plant as soon as possible. This fac
tory belongs to the trust and has been
closed since early last spring.
Nebraska turkeys are evidently in
great demand in Chicago, a promi
nent newspaper of that city having
instructed its representatives in Om
aha to get bids to supply 1,000 of the
birds for that paper’s Christmas work.
The Jury in the district court at
Grand ’sland in the case of Jamieson
against the Burlington railroad re
turned a verdict in favor of the plain
tiff of $1,220. Jamieson was a brake
man and received injuries on the
road.
The Greeley County Sunday school
convention was held at Greeley De
cember 6 and 7. All sessions of the
conventions were very well attended.
Prof. H. M. Stiedley, field secretary of
the State Sunday School association,
took a very active part in all ses
sions.
The sugar beet season just closed
has been very satisfactory In that part
of Nebraska about McCook. Over
600 carloads have been shipped to
Grand Island from McCook alone The
yield per acre under fair circum
stances has been from fifteen to twen
ty tons, and as high as $5.25 per ton
has been received by farmers.
A. M. Hargis, proprietor of the
Grand Island Business college, has
purchased the Security bank building
for $14,000 and will In the future oc
cupy the greater part of the building
for the college. It is a stone front,
erected in 1899, at a cost of about
$50,000. It was recently owned by the
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance
company.
.Willard Williams of Ashland, who
was at the Mead hotel for a few days,
was surprised the other evening, while
seated at the desk, by his sons, Her
bert and Albert, whom he had not
seen or heard from for fifteen and
twenty years respectively. The boys,
or rather men, are located in Cuba,
N. Y., and are prosperous and well
to-do residents of that town.
Edwaid Fry, agent for the Standard
Oil company at Beatrice, was found
lying near his wagon on the public
road five miles east of that city in a
dying condition. Examination devel
oped the fact that the large freight
wagon had passed over his stomach,
inflicting fatal injuries. Medical as
sistance was immediately summoned,
but Mr. Fry expired before anything
could be done to relieve him of his
suffering.
Orders have been issued by the
Union Pacific for the immediate
building at Sidney of an additional
ten Htalls to the roundhouse, a new
boiler house with a battery of three
boilers of 250 horse power, a large
new well near the ice house and elec
tric lighting plant, a large sandhouse,
an addition to the machine shops and
a complete remodeling of the Union
Pacific hotel to be modern in every
particular.
Deputy Food Commissioner Bassett
has made public his biennial report to
the governor. He urges a larger ap
propriation on the part of the legis
lature, as the present one, which is
almost entirely contingent on the
fees of the office, will not suffice to
employ a clerk and chemist or to
maintain a laboratory. He also asks
that the present law which provides
against the adulteration of foods, but
which names penalties for the adul
teration of vinegar and dairy products
only, shall be changed in order to
provide penalties for all adulterations
or the use of preservatives which are
harmful.
THE- UVE «TOCK MARKET.
Latest' Huotation* from South Omaha
and Kansas City.
SOt’TH OMAHA.
CATTLE—There wens 24 op 30 ears of
cornfed step's* Included In the receipts
and St noon the greater part of them
weiw In first hands. The market was
very uneven, but as a general thing the
decline amounted. te» fully 50r as compared
with the close of the week. In some
cases sales looked furiy 76c lower, but
those were rare instances.
The oow market was In fully as bad
shape as the steer market, and tip to a
late hour very little business had been
tsansactedJ The general market may
solely be quoted 50c lower for the week,
but the same as noted for steers, the
prices were very uneven. It now takes
a good bunch of cornfed cows to sell
much over 13 00, so that prices are at the
low point of the year.
Bulls eased off a little again and so
did stags. Veal calves were scarce and
dirt not show1 much change.
The stocker and feeder market was also
very slow and lower. The demand from
tils country has been very light all the
week, and prices may safely be quoted
26c lower, with common stuff almost un
salable at any price.
HOGS—There was a liberal run of hogs
at all points so that prices continued their
downward course. The market here
opened right close to a dime lower, with
the bulk of the sales going from *5.93
to *6.05. and as high as *6.07% and *6.tG
was paid for choice hogs. Packers, how
ever, were not bidding those prices
freely, and In fact there was only one
buyer on the opening market, so that
sellers did not have much opportunity to
cut loose. After about 30 loads had
changed hands, trading came to a stand
still. as packers dropped their bids to
*5.90®#.*, or fully 13c lower than yester
day's average.
SHEEP—Quotations for fed stock:
Choice lambs. *6.004*5.50; fair to good
lambs. *4.25444.75: choice yearlings, *4.10®
4 25; fair to good yearlings, *3.75®4.I0;
choice wethers, *3.634*3.90; fair to good,
*2 0 'u3.05; choice ewes, *3.354(3.85/ fair to
good, *3.00®3.35; feeder lambs, *3.00443.75;
feeder yearlings. **.no®3.25; feeder weth
ers, *2.754(3.00; feeder ewes, *1.50442.26
Clrass fed stock 254435c lower than corn
feds.
KANSAS CITY.
CATTLE—Corn cattle 104415c lower;
cows and heifers, 40®75c lower than last
Friday; calves. 50c4»Jl "0 lower than Mon
day; choice export and dressed beef
steers. *5.204(6.10; fair to good, *2.66445.15;
stoekers and feeders. *2.50443.85; western
fed steers, *3.004j5.25; Texag and Indian
steers. *2.35®S.«0; Texas cows. *2.004(2.65;
native cows, *1.25444.00; native heifers,
*i.75443.75; canners. *1.Q04»2.20; bulls, *2.25®
3.75; calves. *3.00®6 00.
HOGS-Market 7%®10c lower; top, 6.10;
bulk of sales. *5.90446.10; Heavy, *6.02%4»
6.10; mixed packers, *5.97%4*6.10; light,
5. S64i>6.02%; yorkers, *5.95®6.oe%; pigs,
*5.3005.90.
SHEEP AND LAMBS —Market strong
tc higher; native lambs, *4.004*5.40; west
ern lambs, *3.854*6.15; fed ewes, *3.00®
3.96; native wethers, *3.004(4.20; stoekers
and feeders, *2.00443.35.
MAY HASTEN CANAL ACTION
Trouble in Venezuela an Excuse for
Taking Matter Up Again.
WASHINGTON—At the instance of
Secretary Hay, Dr. Herran, Colombian
charge <1 affaires, called at the state
department Friday to discuss the can
al treaty negotiations, that the secre
tary might be able to report the exact
Btatus of the canal to the cabinet
Dr. Herran was unable to give the
secretary any reply from the Bogota
government as to the price which Co
lombia will accept for the lease. It
was explained to Dr. Herran that la
view of the many other weighty dip
lomatic matters pressing for attention
at this time and the growinb Lmpa
ttence at the capital at the delay in
the conclusion of a canal convention,
immediate action by the Bogota gov
ernment was imperative.
Dr Herran cabled the foreign office
at Bogota the wishes of the state de
partment and called attention to the
serious complications that may arise
out of the Venezuelan situation.
Elect Haytian President.
PORT AU PRINCE, Hayti—The
chamber of communes finished the
election of senators Friday and the
national assembly will elect a new
president within a few days. The ma
jority favor Seneeque Pierre, whose
election Is assured in case General
lsord, the war minister, who will en
ter the capital with his army on Sun
day, does not oppose him.
Bank Bandit* Make Haul.
SANTA FE, N. M.—A report baa
reached Santa Fe that the private
bank of Hillsboro was held up in broad
daylight on Wednesday by robbers,
who escaped with something over |30,
000. Soon after midnight three men
were heard galloping at a furious rate
through Falrview, a mining camp,
heading for the Black range. A sher
iff's posse is in pursuit.
Texas Line is Not Bought
TOPEKA, Kan.—E. P. Ripley, presi
dent of the Santa Fe, denies that bk
road has purchased the Texas Centra'
Reports to the effect that the pik
chase is about to be made are erro
neons,-as the Santa Fe does not wan'
the Texas road. The short line frorc
Albuquerque to Galveston will not b»
built yet, and for this reason no Tex
as acquisitions can be used, but th*
contract for constructing the Sants
Fe short line will soon be let.
The protocol of the commereia
treaty between the United States ant
Cuba has been signed.
