The age-herald., 1901-10-07
CASTRO AL0NE
 IN WAR LIKE
 INTENTIONS President of Venezuela Is Not Backed by the
 NatiOna|ists HEAD OF PARTY INTERVIEWED He Does Not Believe Castro Will Dare Make an Open Declaration of Hostilities Against
 Colombia.
HEAD OF PARTY INTERVIEWED

willemstad, Island of Curacoa, Satur- of the Associated Press interview Dr. AL exandro Urbaneja, president of the exec utive committee of the Venezuelan na- tionalist revolutionary party, regarding the political situation. Dr. Urbaneja is the virtual leader of the party and the personal representative of Elmiche, gem eral Hernandez. He was a cabinet min ister under former President Castro and is a lawyer. Today he is in exile in Cur acao.
 "The nationalists until the present time," said pr. Urbaneja, have passive ly witnessed President Castro's attitude and actions toward Colombia; but they are now compelled to protest against them. Neither the nationalsts nor the country at large have ever sustained the actions of Castro, actions which now promise an international war. The na- tionalists do not desire war with sister republic, nor would they follow Castro in such war. On the contrary, they as well as the country at large, would re- fuse to participate.
 
 Venezuela, there would be no necessity for Castro's forcible recruiting as at present in order to obtain an army to punish the offending country. In such an event all Venezuelians would Loyalty and enthusiastically join to punish the offend CT.
 Does Not Look for Declaration.
 do ,i,,lr Caotra xuilI declare war against Colombia In the first place to do so legally he must ob- tain consent of the Venezuelan congress which will not convene before February next. In the second place, I do not be- lieve the members of the Venezuelan congress, although they are all partisans of President Castro, would ever consent to a ruinous war with Colombia in or der to help Colombian revolutionists.
 Neither do I believe in the possibility of the reconstruction of Gran Colombia was effect ted under special conditions that do not exist today. Perhaps a Gran Colombia Is possible through peaceful, intellectual operations, but never by mili- tary force. All the talk now indulged in on this subject is a mere pretext, a blind to cover the personal ambition of a few men.
 Imprisonment of NationalIsts.
 President Castro recently ordered the Imprisonment of all nationalists in Vene- zuela. This convinces me that he does not intend to declare war against Colom- bia, because after eliminating the nation alists there would be comparatively few Venezuelans left who could be counted upon to supply the men and money need ed to wage hostilities against Colombia.
 My principal reason for not believing a declaration of war will be made lies in President Castros attitude toward the internal political situation. If he intend ed to declare war he would attempt to unite all Venezuelans of all political creeds in solid front against Colombia. Quite the contrary is the case. He is per- scouting the numerous nationalists and the latter will before long lose patience, turn on their tormentor actively and in arms and declare against him in retalia- ton.
 Concerning 'El Mocho,' who is a pris- oner at San Carlos, I can say that not withstanding his continuous solitary con- finement in dark and unventilated cell; notwithstanding the chains of his arms and legs the lack of exercise and the wretched food. his health is enduring the severe strain"