Mr. White to Mr. Hay.
London, February 3, 1903.
(Mr. White reports that he has just seen copies of sundry telegrams recently exchanged between Lord Lansdowne and the British ambassador at Washington. The latest British proposal is that the 30 per cent of customs of the two ports, estimated at £213,861, be added to the 13 per cent of entire Venezuelan customs receipts, estimated at £61,782, making a total of £275,643, of which one-half be taken by the three allied powers and the other half by all other powers having claims against Venezuela. If Mr. Bowen refuses assent the British [Page 473] ambassador is instructed to propose the signature of a protocol embodying all the points agreed upon, and reference of priority of claims question to The Hague, unless the President of the United States will pass upon it.)