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Show BERMHIY SEEKS 111 BASE II S00MII1. Overtures Made to Government Govern-ment of Venezuela for Island of Margarita for U-Boat Headquarters. INFORMATION IS GIVEN LANSING News Causes Some Concern in Washington and Venezuelan Vene-zuelan Officials Are Notified of Reports. WASHINGTON, June 2. Reports have. reached tho government from a source described as reliable that Germany Ger-many is attempting to get control of the island of Margarfta, off the coast of Venezuela, for use as a submarine base. The state department has forwarded for-warded tho information received to Venezuela for the consideration of Venezuelan officials. The exact nature of the advices is withheld, but onicials permitted it to become known today that the report had caused some concern here. They indicated that they had positive confirmation con-firmation of overtures designed to secure se-cure control of tho island but that they were uncertain whether the effort had met with any degree of success. Would Be Dangerous. Officials do not believe that the government gov-ernment of Venezuela would he a party to any such alienation of territory, even though temporary. Venezuela is one of the South American governments that has joined in protesting gainst submarine warfare as conducted by Germany, although her technical position posi-tion remains one of neutrality. It has been known uy the American government govern-ment for weeks, however; that German influences have been actively at work in Venezuela and that indirect, if not direct, means have been used by agents of the German emperor to secure popular pop-ular and official sympathy. Cession Unlikely. It is suggested here that Venezuela's accession to the German overtures in m the case of Margarita is rendered very unlikely by the fact that Venezuelan officials could not fail to realize the seriousness of passage of the island to control of an enemy of the United States. It is pointed out that the cession, ces-sion, even though 'temporary, would be a clear violation of the Monroe doctrine doc-trine and would undoubtedly call for energetic and prompt opposition by this government. Margarita is off the northern coast of Venezuela, near the southeastern corner cor-ner of the Carribean sea, and within striking' distance of tho Panama canal. It is about 500 miles from Culebra and 1000 irom Colon. ItB adjacent waters, including the gulf of Cariaco, would make it admirably adapted as a naval base. |