VENEZUELA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 7

VENEZUELA.

UNCM SAM AND HIS, REFRACTORY: NjEPBEW. ARBITRATION REUSED. v " STRINGENT ACTION " POSSIBLE. BY TELEGRAPH —PHESB ASSOCIATION —COFXBIOHT, (Hoc. April 20,"9126 p.m.)-" Now York, April 20. Senator Cullom, chairman of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Rotations, Has drafted a resolution empowering 'President Roosovelt'to adopt stringent" action' in Venezuela, in tho event of tho rejection of a further and final proposal in corineotion with tho case of the Bermudez Asphalt' Company. CASTRO'S OBSTINACY, . .; President Roosevelt.recently the. Senate five claims against "Venezuela, concerning which President Castro refuses to' arbitrate. Amoug these-claims waSithat,of,.thg f! Norc..York and Bermudez Asphalt)/Qompauy,- concerning which a special commissioner had reported that "if the company's demands meet with pro-, crastination or refusal, , the .dignity- of- the United States Government requii'es. prompt and vigorous action." ■ .'' In January President Castro annulled a contract entered into by the Venezuelan Government with tjie Venezuelan Salt. Mon'bpoly (Ltd.);' "J 1 ® n sli s 'i company! --This contract'leased*'to' the Company certain salt mines, and gave to it the monopoly of the sale of salt in Venezuela for ten years.. President- Castro"lias'.tdso ■ annulled the.match moiiOpblj^;:-'BothHtliei:yene-zuelan Salt Monopoly, (Ltd.) land the' riintch monopoly company, v appealed to tho British Legation. ; ' In 18D7. Castro was a small cattle-rancher on tho Colombian frontier, and a member of the Federal Senate. Having'helped lo lift General Andrade into - the Presidency, he. was cut by that distinguished cfficer, .whereupon lie followed the example of atiliquity,' and publicly prophesied that one day he would, be groat, f To-day," he said, "I, go ;home; : yet before |welve months h(ive f»bne"l frill return,'but 'i\s of Venezuela."

And lie did. Tho Venezuela rariphmbn on the border in those .used, to'dyS'(le ' l tKo l T:ax- ; gatherer by the simple'method'of driving their herds over the Colombian border, rind Mien the. Colombian tax-gatherer: capie, .the Colombians - used to returnf.he .-. call. - .But in-, JGO7the two , tax-gatherers l ; Conceived*:, the' 'brilliant idea of .arriving on the same day, f\nd there was trouble. 1 Castro suffered ,coiiflscatiou and' general injury,, and determined- tq;_stii]c9._a. blow in revenge. His mountain friends joined hini, and the force marched on Caracas, unseated Andrade, and put? Cs§trj) iji (1 Then followed one of. exhibitions' of impudent .%lespotis'm." : in'i' ihoderji'' times. "From time"to time Castro ha 6 subdued' rebellion with -ovary - cirouwstancb-'qf. severity," says a London paper. He .lias annulled all the concessions granted to,, foreigners from which ho drew no .profit;. has granted monopolies, forcxl nipst grinding, taxation. At': thi , /.' , tafnent,''-V,hV : iniblic owes its foreign creditors some -£5,C00,000 storling in borrowed J ..iiortey!' and; another .£3,000,000 in defaulted interests." '■ ■; 'An illustrious 1 predecessor Sloped to . Paris: with the. contents, of. the. Treasury, and -'itVis" pretty certain that has been accumulating a tidy ...fortune. ijv. hvs''years .of oppression and defiance. People,, in. hip hoi'ise- have told, stories of shipments of gold'sent'abroad, by the far-sighted President. . , "