"The French Government will come to a decision at the Cabinet Council to be held on Saturday as to the conditions upon which President Castro, the despot of Venezuela, will be allowed to land in France. At the moment of his departure for Europe it was reported that the object of the President's journey was to see a distinguished specialist with a view to a surgical operation. Since then, however, trustworthy information has reached the Quai d'Orsay to the effect that his state of health is not so precarious as it had been reported to be, and that he looks forward to receiving in Paris the hospitality to which South Americans are accustomed. If that be the case, there are serious reasons for believing that he will meet with disappointment. The relations between France and Venezuela have been suspended now for several years, and the French representative at Caracas, it will be remembered, was expelled from Venezuela. The French Foreign Office is at present engaged in preparing a statement of its grievances against President Castro, to serve as a basis for the discussion in the next Cabinet Council of the delicate questions raised by the Dictator's decision to visit this country."
Again, the Times of Dec. 11th contained the following, dated Paris, Dec. 10th:
"President Castro landed in France this morning from the steamer Guadeloupe at Pauillac, where he was met by the Venezuelan Consul at Genoa and a dozen or more friends. He took a special train from Bordeaux, and on arriving with his wife, brother, three doctors, and six servants, he allowed himself to be photographed, subsequently driving to the Hôtel de France. On reaching the hotel he received a visit from M. Gout, a high official at the Quai d'Orsay, who had been specially despatched by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to inform President Castro of the conditions on which the Government has allowed him to land in France, and on which he will be permitted to stay here. The Government has refused to reveal the details of the decision at which it arrived in the Cabinet Council of last Saturday as to its treatment of the Venezuelan President. He declared to the representative of the French Foreign Office that he had come to Europe as a mere private individual to see a doctor, but a semi-official note communicated this evening states that 'it is believed that he will take advantage of his stay to try to settle his affairs with the various Powers which no longer have agents accredited to his Government.'
"There is reason to believe that this very guarded and somewhat enigmatical statement marks the definite decision of the French Government to demand from President Castro a complete settlement of all the questions outstanding between him and this country. It is felt that while France cannot repudiate her traditions of hospitality, she has nevertheless seized this opportunity to make it quite clear to the President that any prolongation of his sojourn here must depend on his meeting the views of the French Government."
92. A Rejected Ambassador.
In 1885 Italy refused to receive Mr. Keilly as ambassador of the United States of America, because he had, in 1871, protested against the annexation of the Papal States. And when the United States sent the same gentleman as ambassador to Austria, the latter refused him reception, on the ground that his wife was said to be a Jewess.
SECTION XXIV
93. Revictualling of a Fortress.
During a war between states A and B, a general armistice is concluded for thirty days, without any detailed stipulations. The commander of a besieged fortress claims the right of re-victualling, but the commander of the besieging forces refuses this. The besieged commander considers this refusal a violation of the armistice and threatens to denounce it unless the besieging commander complies with his request.