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Root’s Watchful Waiting and the Venezuelan Controversy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Embert J. Hendrickson
Embert J. Hendrickson*
Affiliation:
San José State College, San José, California
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Extract

Elihu Root, Secretary of State from 1905 to 1909 under President Theodore Roosevelt, ranks as one of the most successful secretaries in dealing with Latin America before the coming of the Good Neighbor policy. His approach, the product of a practical statesman in a period of growing reaction to diplomatic adventure, concerned the means rather than the ends of inter-American relations. While the Secretary did not renounce the role of hemispheric policeman proclaimed by President Roosevelt in 1904, he did attempt to stress the benevolent character of America’s Caribbean interests and to sub-ordinate the policing aspect. Root held a special concern for Latin America and labored assiduously to improve relations and to promote the solidarity of the Western Hemisphere. When the Secretary retired in 1909 he bequeathed his successor a legacy of kindly feeling that he had successfully cultivated.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , April 2004 , pp. 115 - 129
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 2004

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References

1 Fagg, John Edwin, Latin America: A General History (New York, 1963), p. 817 Google Scholar; Theodore Roosevelt to John Hay, April 2, 1905, Morison, Eking E. (ed.), The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt (8 vols.; Cambridge, 1951-1954), IV, 1156.Google Scholar

2 Jessup, Philip C., Elihu Root (2 vols.; New York, 1937), I, 493-499Google Scholar; Jones, Chester L., The Caribbean Since 1900 (New York, 1936), chaps. X-XI.Google Scholar

3 Morón, Guillermo, A History of Venezuela (New York, 1963), p. 187 Google Scholar. (Edited and translated by John Street.)

4 “Protocol of an agreement between the … United States [and] Venezuela for submission to arbitration of all unsettled claims … against the Republic of Venezuela,” Department, U.S. of State, Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1903 (Washington, D. C, 1862- ), pp. 804–805 Google Scholar. (Cited hereinafter as Foreign Relations.)

5 The Calvo clause, often inserted by Latin American countries in contracts with foreign nations, stipulated that foreigners agree to the settlement of all disputes arising out of their contracts in the court of that country and renounce the right of appeal for assistance to their own government. This concept stemmed from the writings of the Argentine jurist, Charles Calvo, whose six volume treatise on international law appeared during the years from 1868 to 1896. Shea, Donald R., The Calvo Clause: A Problem of Inter-American and International Law and Diplomacy (Minneapolis, 1954), pp. 19–20.Google Scholar

6 C. Jones, The Caribbean Since 1900, pp. 263-268.

7 Elihu Root to William E. Russell, Foreign Relations, 1908, pp. 774-796.

8 The Venezuelan government declined to retreat from its stand on any of the five issues. It upheld the expropriation of the New York and Bermúdez Company’s concession by asserting that the firm had supported a domestic uprising and had failed to fulfill all contractual obligations. In a second question, that involving the claim of A.F. Jaurett, Caracas charged that the claimant had illegally involved himself in domestic politics; therefore his immediate expulsion had been fully justified. Finally, the government contended that the other three questions had been decided either by the Venezuelan Supreme Court or by international arbitration. For a further discussion of Venezuela’s position see Foreign Relations, 1907 and 1908.

9 José de J. Paúl to W. Russell, February 29, 1908, Venezuela, Exteriores, Min. de Relaciones, El Libro Amarillo de los Estados Unidos de Venezuela, 1909 (Caracas, 1894- ), p. 125 Google Scholar. (Cited hereinafter as El Libro Amarillo.)

10 T. Roosevelt to E. Root, March 29, 1908, E. Morison (ed.), The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, VI, 984.

11 T. Roosevelt to J. Hay, ibid., IV, 1156; Roosevelt, T. to Roosevelt, James R., July 29, 1907, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C, Theodore Roosevelt Papers.Google Scholar

12 For literature critical of the American position see Williams, C. Arthur, “The Truth About Venezuela,” The World Today, IX (1905), pp. 717–720 Google Scholar; Comment, Editorial, “The Asphalt Scandal,” Current Literature, XXXVIII (1905), pp. 481–483 Google Scholar; Comment, Editorial, “A Five Million Dollar Fine,” The Independent, LXIII (1907), pp. 1064–1066 Google Scholar; and Henry, Philip W., “Has the United States Repudiated International Arbitration?“North American Review, CLXXXVI (1907), pp. 526–536.Google Scholar

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14 Congress, U.S., Senate Journal, 60th Congress, 1st Session (Washington, D. C, 1908), p. 263.Google Scholar

15 The report was published and entitled Congress, U.S., Senate, Correspondence Relating to the Wrongs Done to American Citizens by the Government of Venezuela, 60th Congress, 1st Session, Sen. Doc. No. 413 (Washington, D. C, 1908).Google Scholar

16 Washington Post, April 12, 1908; The Times (London), April 13, 1908.

17 Washington Post, April 18, 1908; New York Times, April 20, 1908.

18 The Times (London), April 23, 1908.

19 Washington Post, April 19, 1908.

20 E. Root to Henry White, April 13, 1908, National Archives, Washington, D. C, Department of State Records, Numerical File 5082/42A. (Cited hereinafter as DSR, NF.)

21 M. M. Hanna to Robert Bacon, April 14, 1908, DSR, NF 5082/43, department memorandum.

22 Thomas C. Dawson to E. Root, May 6, 1908, DSR, NF 5435, #92.

23 E. Root to Whitelaw Reid, May 22, 1908, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C, jElihu Root Papers.

24 Ibid.

25 T. Roosevelt to William H. Taft, August 21, 1907, E. Morison (ed.), The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, V, 761; T. Roosevelt to William B. Hale, December 3, 1908, Ibid., VI, 1408.

28 Hornig, Edgar, “Campaign Issues of the Presidential Election of 1908,’” The Indiana Magazine of History, LIV (September, 1958), 237–264.Google Scholar

27 E. Root to Jacob Sleeper, June 13, 1908, DSR, NF 4832/8, telegram.

28 J. Sleeper to E. Root, June 22, 1908, DSR, NF 4832/21-29, #335; New York Times, June 26, 1908.

29 E. Root to Joaquim Nabuco, June 13, 1908, DSR, NF 4832/8.

30 Chicago Daily Tribune, June 24, 1908.

31 E. Root to W. Reid, May 22, 1908, Root Papers; E. Root to Enrique Cortes, July 30, 1908, Root Papers.

32 Lavin, John, A Halo for Gómez (New York, 1954), ch. XI.Google Scholar

33 The United States exerted a decisive role in resolving the Venezuelan boundary controversy of the 1890’s and the Venezuelan claims controversy of 1902-03. In the earlier issue, the Caracas government had quarreled with Great Britain over the boundary between Venezuela and British Guiana; while in the more recent question, Great Britain, Germany, and Italy blockaded the Venezuelan coast to force payment of claims.

34 New York World, June 25, 1908.

35 Jacob Sleeper to Secretary of State, June 19, 1908, DSR, NF 14457, #332; for background of the dispute see El Libro Amarillo and Corporaal, Karel H., De Internationaalrechtelijke betrekkingen tusschen Nederland en Venezuela, 1816-1920 (Leiden, 1920)Google Scholar. (Cited hereinafter as De Internationaalrechtelijke.)

36 Decree of Cipriano Castro, May 14, 1908, reproduced in El Libro Amarillo, 1909, p. 486.

37 J. Paúl to J. H. de Reús, July 20, 1908, El Libro Amarillo, 1909, pp. 506-507; Ibid., July 28, 1908, pp. 507-510.

38 K. H. Corporaal, De Internationaalrechtelijke, pp. 465-468; Picón-Salas, Mariano, Los Días de Cipriano Castro (Caracas, 1953), p. 287 Google Scholar; Comment, Editorial, “Quarrel some Venezuela,” The Outlook, LXXXIX (1908), 781 Google Scholar; Comment, Editorial, “The Dutch War With Venezuela,” Current Literature, XLV (1908), pp. 379–382.Google Scholar

39 E. Root to E. Cortés, July 30, 1908, Root Papers.

40 Arthur M. Beaupré to Secretary of State, August 3, 1908, DSR, NF 14457/7, telegram.

41 E. Root to A. Beaupré, August 6, 1908, DSR, NF 14457/33, telegram.

42 Alvey A. Adee to Robert Bacon, August 19, 1908, DSR, NF 14457, department memorandum.

43 T. Roosevelt to Jean Jules Jusserand, August 3, 1908, E. Morison (ed.), The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, VI, 1148.

44 John Brewer to Secretary of State, November 26, 1908, DSR, NF 3136, telegram.

45 Ibid., November 29, 1908, 3136/69-71, telegram; Rudolph Dolge to E. Root, November 28, 1908, DSR, NF 3136/74-75, confidential letter.

46 J. Sleeper to E. Root, January 5, 1907, DSR, NF 3136/61, #157.

47 E. Root to Malanchton W. Stryker, November 30, 1908, Root Papers.

48 R. Dolge to E. Root, November 28, 1908, DSR, NF 3136/74-75, confidential letter.

49 James Johnson to R. Bacon, December 4, 1908, DSR, NF 14457/54, #47.

50 New York Times, December 5 and 9, 1908.

51 J. Johnson to R. Bacon, December 16, 1908, DSR, NF 14457/62, #48; K.H. Corporaal, De Internationaalrechtelijke, pp. 486-487.

52 New York Times, December 14, 1908.

53 J. Brewer to Secretary of State, December 13, 1908, DSR, NF 3136/81-83; New York Times, December 15, 1908.

54 John С O’Laughlin to T. Roosevelt, December 12, 1908, DSR, NF 4832/67, department memorandum.

55 New York Times, December 18, 1908.

56 T. Roosevelt to E. Root, December 17, 1908, E. Morison (ed.), The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt, VI, 1427.

57 J. Brewer to Secretary of State, December 22, 1908, DSR, NF 3136, telegram; New York Times, December 22 and 23, 1908.

58 Corporaal, K.H., De lnternationaalrechtelijke, pp. 488–489; New York Times, December 23, 1908.Google Scholar

59 Francisco González Guinán to Edwin von Seckendorff, December 22, 1908, El Libro Amarillo, 1908, p. 16.

60 Luis de Lorena Ferreira to Joaquim Nabuco, December 19, 1908, DSR, NF 4832/68, copy of original dispatch.

61 E. Root to William I. Buchanan, December 28, 1908, DSR, NF 4832/68, special instructions.

62 New York Times, December 22, 1908.

63 E. Root to W. Buchanan, December 28, 1908, DSR, NF 4832/68, special instructions.

64 Comment, Editorial, “A Nicely Timed Revolution,” The Nation, XL (1908), 645.Google Scholar

65 Comment, Editorial, “A Good Riddance,” The Independent, LXV (1908), 1624.Google Scholar

66 New York Times, December 28, 1908.

67 New York Tribune, December 25, 1908.

68 New York Sun, December 24, 1908.

69 E. Root to Andrew Carnegie, December 24, 1908, Root Papers.