Minister Bowen to the Secretary of State.
(Reports that the Venezuelan chargé d’affaires cabled the President yesterday that Department said the difficulties with Venezuela could be arranged. The President cabled for details. The Venezuelan chargé d’affaires replied that Department asked him why does not the President accept a general arbitration treaty, adding, if he would, all would be settled amicably and Venezuela would never have a better friend than the United States. The President cabled back to tell Department that he never asked for anything except to submit everything to arbitration, but that Mr. Bowen prevented everything. Mr. Bowen says that statement is false. The President refused to submit to arbitration pending questions and asked for a general arbitration for the future. Mr. Bowen adds that Department instructions to him stated the United States would consider negotiating a general arbitration treaty only after pending questions are settled. As the President claims cases before his courts are not diplomatic questions, it would be useless to make a general arbitration treaty unless he accepts the Department’s definition of a diplomatic question.)