The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-25
VENEZUELA HOSTILE.
COUNTRY is IN A DISTURBED CON-
DITION.
THE ASPHALT CONCESSIONS
APPEAR TO HE THE CHIEF CAUSE
OF TROUBLE.

Government Refused the Request OF
the American Minister for "a sus-
pension OF Action and Hence ReIa-
tiona Are Somewhat straIned-War
Vessels Expected 10 Return to La
Gu"yr" and Troops May BE Landed
II Force IN to lie EmDIoyed IN
Take Possession of the Asphalt
Lake.
Fort de France. Island Of Martinique.
Jan. "a, via Haytien cable.-As a result
of the inquiries OF a correspondent of
the Associated Press into the attitude or
Nenezuelans towards Americans, the re-
volt OF troops at Caracas ana the sinkinp.
of British vessel by Venezuelan gur.
boat, the following report is filed here.
owing to the press censorship In Vene-
zuela making cabling of news from that
country almost impossible:
The attitude of the government of Ven
ezuela towards the Bermudez Asphalt
Company (American) is hostile. for the
! reason that the concessions recently ac-
corded by the government have been given
10 people in ltouch with the government
and who would like to resell them to the
Bermudez Company The government
having refused to grant the request of the
American minister, who demanded a sus-
pension of action on the part of the new
concessonists in taking possession oe
their grants, strained relations between
venezuela and the United States resulted
and war vessels are expected to return
to La Guayra and IL the Venezuelan gov
ernment employs force 10 take possession
Of the asphalt lake, it is believed the
United States auxiliary cruiser Scorpion
will land an armed force.
The attitude of che Venezuelans towards
Americans is hostile. On the 18th Of this
month the Venezuelan troops in the Hoyo
barracks at Caracas mutinied and killed
! their colonel, the lieutenant colonel and
seven men and then fled ia various direc-
lions. Two hundred and ten of the men
were recaDtured. There was no fighting
IN the town and the exact cause Of the
| mutiny is not known
No accurate details are obtaina BILE re-
garding the sinking of the British sloop
Maria Teresa by the Venezuelan gunboat
| Miranda.
IT is supposed che Maria Teresa was
4 Island
| trinidad with n cargo OF arms intendef
/ Tor the Venezuelan revolutionists and thar
4 sfc was met by the Miranda, which
/ wishing TO take possession OF her. ar=,s
! upon the Maria Teresa and by so doing
set her on fire, after which she sank ac-
eording to one report
Very little information is obtainable re-
earding the movements of the Venezuelan
insurgents and the troops OF the govern
| NenHZuela In bn
| surrection seems TO be localized between
Cumana and the extreme northeast of
| Nehezuela. The insurgents have again
taken possession OF CeruDano. and diIrfn.
| the evening of Jan. q. there was a ten
tative uprising in the neghborhood OF
! Barcelona.
Calm prevails in the West. but a num-
! Der OF arrests are being made. and tbo
revolutionists appear TO be concentratino
at Curacao
The MutiDy mt Caracas.
Port OF Spain. Trinidad. Jan. 4-Ad-
vices received here regarding the mutjnv
OF venezuelan troops in the Hoya bar
racks at Caracas, say that the mutfneors
numbered 300. The outbreak took nIace
at o'clock in the evening of January
u, and the colonel, two officers and four
men were killed The mutineers ESCAPED
without arms by different roads and got
subsequently, arrested near Caracas and
the others surrendered the next day
Inquiry showed that the men had been
badly fed and were being exploited by the
chiefs. The authorities Of the capital seem
to have been unaware of the incident.
situation Growing More Critical.
The situation 50 far as It affects the
Birmudez Asphalt Company grows more
critical every hour. All the negroes and
other laborers are menaced and impressed
by the local authorities, or they desert,
thus leaving the plant at the asphalt
lake without assistance.
The American colony in Venezuela con-
tinues to protest against the Indifference
with which American lives and interests
are regarded.
Venezuelan side of IT.
Washington, Jan. 24.-Ohicial communl-
cations from ID. Il. Banco the Venezue-
Ian minister of foreign affairs, received
by Minister Puldo, make strong repre-
sentations as to the strict neutrality which
the Venezuelan government has observed
all through the controversy. which is set
forth as being solely an issue between
the rival companies themselves, and one
not involving the government. Mr.. Blan-
co expresses surprise at the arrival OF
the American warships
ss
TO CAMP AT THEN rr,GIN