Minister Bowen to the Secretary of State.
Caracas, Venezuela, September 4, 1904.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that yesterday, while taking leave of the Venezuelan minister for foreign affairs, I said to him “Why in your recent note to me did you say that my statement was untrue that Venezuelan soldiers are in possession of the New York and Bermudez asphalt lake? I sent photographs of the soldiers and barracks long ago, and when they reach Washington, and are compared with the denial in your note, what do you suppose the authorities at Washington will think about the matter?” He looked surprised, annoyed, and uneasy, but finally said, “I did not mean that there were no Venezuelan soldiers at the lake, but only that they were not in possession of it. They are not in control of it, but are acting under the orders of the court.” I assured him that his explanation was very satisfactory to me, and that I should have much pleasure in communicating it to you.
I am, etc.,