Mr. White to Mr. Hay.
London, December 16, 1902.
(Mr. White reports that he has just heard Lord Lansdowne make the following statement in the House of Lords, in reply to a question by Lord Spencer, leader of the opposition:
In the event which the noble Lord supposes, further measures of coercion will no doubt be inevitable. The question has been considered by His Majesty’s Government, in consultation with the German Government, and it has been decided, as I think will be evident from the general tenor of the blue book, to resort to a blockade of the Venezuelan ports, some of which will be blockaded by British and some by German ships of war. It is not intended to land a British force, and still less to occupy Venezuelan territory.)