Show HAD EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS Commander British Fleet Advised as to What Course to Pursue London Dec 10 716 p mIn re ponse to nn Inquiry made at the Foreign office a representative of the scoolatcd Press waa Informed that up to 7 oclock this evening no information of an qfUcIal character had been received fclal cmlter elvcd from Venezuela everything beIng be-Ing left to the commander of the Brit sh fleet who had iccelved explicit in tructlons as to what course to pursue and regarding the aggressive measures to he undertaken The Foreign office explains that the ast l communication sent to Senor Castro was not a second ultimatum hut a notification that the commander lad been Instructed to Rend to the cf feet that the second LEt of the re rlsnlb > which include other measures beside the seizure of the customs would bf commenced unless a watlsfuc tory answer was received Tho Foreign office has heard nothing from United States Mlnlnt Bwcn who has charge of British and crman Interests at Caracas regarding the ar rest of British subjects J still thinks however that the British at Caracas will be safer In prison than outside Time reports of friction between Germany Ger-many and Great Britain arC denied The Foreign office fays that toall purposes pur-poses the twO powers are taking Joint action though In certain eventualities each country Is i free to indcpendont ly The seizure of the Venezuelan gunboat gun-boat Bolivar at Port Spain Island of Trinidad vnn effected on Instructions previously Issued by the British admiralty ad-miralty I I In the House of Commons Under Foreign Secretary Cranbornc replying I to Mr Brycc Liberal said the British MinIster 1 at Caracas had bctn Instructed to wait twentyfour hours after the Drepenlatlon of the ultimatum and ailing r reply to proceed to La Guayra where he was to wait another twentyfour hours on board a British ship That period expired latt nlghl Unless In the nieantlmo a concession had been received It was necessary for his majestys Government to take forcible action The Government had I not been Informed that such action I had been taken The attitude of the Foreign once here Is one of relief the arrest of time Brlllsl subjects It IH said Indicating provision against Illtreatment and consequent further complications |