MESSAGE TO CASTRO

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6701, 26 December 1908, Page 7

MESSAGE TO CASTRO

GRAVE CHARGES EXTRAVAGANT LIFE IN BERLIN HOTEL, , BIG WEEKLY BILL. * By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December 25, 9.45 a.m.) BERLIN, December 24. , Leading Venezuelans have cabled to General Castro, the President of Venezuela, who is now in Berlin, informing him that his power is destroyed and his property confiscated, and that he will be arrested if he attempts to return. It is indicated that there are grave charges against General Castro. Some accounts report that General Castro is furious, and is determined to return and overthrow his opponents. Others state that tho President is indifferent, .believing tho conspiracy against him to be a Dutch invention. It is reported that General Castro possesses a fortune of from three to twenty-nine millions, and that this is lodged in European hanks. He is living in a Berlin hotel at tho rate of £ISOO a week. General Castro declares that the United States and Holland have fomented the' rising against him.

THE VICE-PRESIDENT AND AMERICA. COMMISSIONER AND WARSHIP SENT. NEW YORK, December 24. General Gomez asks for a settlement of Venezuela’s disputes with the United States, and has invited an American warship to visit La Guaira. The authorities at Washington interpret this to mean that General Gomez desires a warship sent as a precaution to prevent disorders. Mr W. I. Buchanan has been appointed a Special Commissioner, and is proceeding to Venezuela aboard the cruiser North Carolina. Holland has suspended her naval demonstration. Mr 5711118011 Insco Buchanan, now in hie fifty-fifth year, after a successful com. mercial career, was appointed United States Minister to tho Argentine in 1894. He remained at Buenos Ayres till 1900. and afterwards went to the Panama, While in the Argentine, Mr Buchanan acted as deciding arbitrator la a dispute concerning the boundary between Chile and Argentine, CONSPIRACY AGAINST GOMEZ. NIPPED IN THE BUD. CARACAS, December 24. N General Gomez, Vice-President, discovered that Cardenas, Castro’s personal secretary, had been entrusted with the duty of promoting a conspiracy and inciting his assassination with the help of a mutinous regiment commanded by Colonel Castro, a brother of the' President. General Gomez, with the utmost boldness, personally arrested Colonel Castro, and accused Cardenas, who defiantly denied the plot. • Gomez pinioned him to prevent the use of a revolver, and then had him imprisoned, thus breaking the back of the plot.

MISSION TO EUROPE. CARACAS, December 24. ■ Dr Jose de J. Paul, ex-Foreign Mill-' ister of Venezuela, has started for Europe' to settle Venezuela’s international disputes.