Report from Herbert Wolcott Bowen to John Hay
Herbert Wolcott Bowen reports the awards of the mixed commissions paid to various countries by Venezuela. He does not believe this rate of repayment will be maintained, since President Castro is likely to violate his agreements with foreign powers. Bowen encloses two confidential reports. The first report, titled “Grievances Formulated Since the Blockade by the Legations Accredited to Caracas,” describes the complaints that several countries have against Venezuela and Castro. Grievances include the withdrawal of exequaturs, failure to pay debts, despoliation of companies, and assassinations. Based on the government revenue and expenditures of Venezuela, it is not clear what has happened to the surplus money, half of which would be a sufficient amount to pay off the debts. The second report, which is from the Italian Chargé, lists the complaints against Venezuela and notes that the Venezuelan people are suffering from monopolies and taxes. It asks, “Where do the 40 millions surplus go which should be in the treasury but are not there?”
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1904-08-20
