The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-13
IN URrRE- URIBE's CAMP.
An Interview With the General Sixteen Thous
and Soldiers Holding Frontier
Correspondence of the Associated Press


Maracaibo, Venezuela, October 31--A
correspondent of the Associated Press
has just had an interview with General
Tribe Tribe. He found the General
ountains, on the frontier line between
the Venezuelan State of Tachra and the
Colombian province of Santander. His
headquarters were at a hamlet called
Luisiana. half days ride from San
Cristobal the capital of Tachira. His
command numbering several thousand
Colombian Liberals, was holding the ex-
treme left of the Venezuelan line of de-
fence, covering the approaches of San
Cristobal and the Encentrados Railroad
from the direction of Cucuta. General
Chalbant Cordonne held the centre with
General Modesto Castro at the extreme
right.
On the Colombian side General valen-
cha, a former minister. Juan Berti and
Rangel Garbiras, the Venezuelan rebel,
are in command. Altogether, some six
teen thousand soldiers stand face to
face on the frontier. Skirmishes and
raids across the frontier are of daily, or
rather of nightly occurrence.
General Tribe Tribe, readily consented
TO an interview: Speaking f1uently in
French he said:
"As President Castro has but recently
declared, that this is not an information
al war between Venezuela and Colombia.
but a struggle between the Liberal and
Conservative parties of both countries.
Here in Venezuela we all serve under the
yellow standard of the Liberal party, as
do our friends in Ecuador, in Guatemala,
in Nicaragua and in the Liberal strong
holds of the Colombian Guajira. We
helped repel the recent attack on San
Cristobal on the part of the Colombian
and Venezuelan Conservatives under
Garbiras. and now we have undertaken
to help guard the Venezuelan frontier
against foreign attacks. My force is
simply part of the Venezuelan line of
defence and, as its commander. ] stand
under the orders Of General Issimo
Cipriano Castro ust like the other Lib
eral generals on this side of the from
Il
opinions / should run the risk of inter-
fering with the dispositions of our fell
low Liberals in the field, and would prob
ably lose General Castros support es-
pecially if | compromised his cause. We
are not as yet strong enough to do with
out the help of our allies outside the
confines of Colombia.
There are some open promises and
engagements to which ! stand committed
together with all my beloved countrymen
in the field. First of all. we have en-
gagged ourselves in case of success. to do
all in our power to change the money
standard of Colombia from it's present
debased paper currency to a standard of
silver and gold. We shall not repudiate
any national debt but as soon as it can
be effected, the wretched bills which are
now being turned out in Bogota by the
bushels shall be withdrawn from circu-
lation. Next we shall try to effect
definite settlement of the Isthmus Canal
question and of the pending international
negotiation. We shall stand by all our
national treaties, as for instance, the
United States of 1S46 guaranteeing the
neutrality of the Isthmus Railroad, but
she shall put definite stop to the under
hand dickering for our most valuable
possessions to European countries. Co
lombian concessions to France in regard
to the Isthmus, by the terms of the last
treaty, expire in 1904. French capitalists
have obtained an Illegal extension of
these concessions. Our Congress, when it
last met. in 1898, refused to ratify these
concessions. /, myself, as the only Lib
eral representative in Congress, voted
against such ratification. In defiance of
the Colombian Constitution, President
San Clamonte, after the dissolution of
the Congress, arbitrarily granted the
concessions to France. Now, the French
company is trying to sell these same
concessions to American capitalists for
seventy million dollars. How much bet
ter it would be to put this sum of money
into the construction of the canal.
1--WE have had enough of Panama
frauds. We do not want the French to
NEEDLE further with the canal. We
know, as all the world knows, that the
Americans can finish the canal in half
the time and for half the money. We
want Americans to undertake the COM
pletion of the canal, and we willingly
accept the protection of the great North
American Republic at the isthmus as we
have already in regard to the trans
isthmus railroad. Even at the present
juncture we have no objection to the
landing of American troops at the 18TH
mus. Come what may between us and
our conservative enemies, we know that
the Americans will content themselves
with protecting the railroad. I have i'm
plicit trust that they will hold the ball
ance true"