Office of the Historian

Mr. Loomis to Mr. Sherman.

Legation of the United States,
Caracas, May 18, 1898.
No. 134.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the inclosed decree relating to the publication of false news was agreed upon and officially published at my request by direction of the President of Venezuela.

Ever since the beginning of the war between the United States and Spain certain irresponsible small papers here, controlled by the Spaniards, [Page 1133] have made a business of printing in each issue a series of uncomplimentary, sensational, and always untrue rumors about the United States. One of the offending papers is a small daily, and its editors gave currency to a rumor that President McKinley had been assassinated by a Spaniard. This alleged dispatch, which was manufactured here, produced a profound sensation and I could not but regard the circulation of false news of this character as most dangerous and reprehensible and indeed likely to incite violent and excitable persons to the commission of crime.

Another day these papers printed fictitious cablegrams in which the bombardment of Philadelphia by the Spanish fleet was graphically described. The alleged approaching disruption of the United States and the separation of the South from the North is a favorite theme. These papers are a fraud upon the community, and I ascertained from the cable office that not one of them had ever received a cablegram at any time.

I called the attention of the President and of the minister of foreign affairs to these publications several times and finally insisted that they should no longer be permitted to invent and print so-called news of the character I have described. * ** The first paper that oversteps the limits set forth in the decree will be summarily suppressed.

I have, etc.,

Francis B. Loomis.
[Translation.]
United States of Venezuela,
Government of the Federal District,
Caracas, May 14, 1898.

For the purpose of preventing the manifest damage to business transactions, and also that alarm often caused to foreign subjects and citizens in the capital by publications of notices as to disturbances and disorders in other countries, by order of the President of the Republic,

It is resolved, That in the publication by the press of foreign notices there must be placed at the foot of the article the name of the paper that said notice was taken from, or the name of the cable agency or person furnishing it.

Those who violate this resolution will incur a fine of 500 bolivars, or arrest in default.

Let it be announced and published.

A. Lutowsky.