Minister Bowen to the Secretary of State.
Caracas, January 11, 1905.
(Mr. Bowen states that the protocol should define what are diplomatic questions, as Venezuela often claims questions before her courts are not diplomatic; that provision should be made to prevent delays [Page 1014] in choosing arbitrators and having them sit and render decisions; that Bermudez case ought to go to The Hague, and that custom-houses should remain guarantee, with power of substituting Americans for Belgians with consent of other creditors. He thinks disputes about interpretation of the protocol should be referred to the President of the United States.
He adds that it will be very difficult to induce President of Venezuela to make protocol unless he sees we are ready to use force.)