The Washington times., 1901-11-17
LIVE EUROPEAN TOPICS.
Conditions in South America From
50 a British Viewpoint.

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The tima is at hand when the great
world outside viii cease TO look on witt
amused unconcern while the South Amer
team Republics indulge in revolution aftel
revolution, and play at the deadly game
OF war in constant guerrilla campaigns.
When travelling about the United States
discovered a universal conviction among
the. people that. at no distant date. the
.alole Of the South American Continent
mast become one of their exclusive
r5fleres of influence This is never a sub
Iect of argument; ii is quietly assumed
ms a disagreeable but inevitable contin-
geney.
No American wants his Government to
Interfere with Colombia, Venezuela, or
Ecuador; but these farcical Republics are
regarded as utterly incapable of becoming
anything better than vast ensanguined
cockpits without some degree of foreign
control.
So far as situation is concerned, Ca
racas, Bogota, and Quito are the most
enchanting cities on earth. They are
the capitals Of Venezuela, Colombia, and
Ecuador, respectively.
Quito, the highest capital city in the
world, is perched on a glorious plateau
right against the equator. Bogota is the
fairy city of South America. Caracas,
which cur great Sir Francis Drake once
captured, is the gem city of the Carib-
bean Sea.
These three spots Of peerless beauty
are the head centres of tie most cruel
conspiracies against international law
and order concocted in this age; while,
apart from the international view, they
are also tests where internecine plots are
incuhated every day. Each of these Re
publlcs is constantly at feud with the
other two. while each is at the same time
erermore engaged in civil war With" its
own borders
Humanity would be staggered indeed If
the truth We're generally known about the
reciprocal ferocity displayed in these con-
f1icts year after year, especially between
Venezuela and Colombia, the two most
in;1amnable of the three States.
Last year. and the year before, General
Uribe-Uribe, the notorious header of the
Colombian revolutionary party, managed
TO keep the field in a guerrilla campaign
month after month. Between 2O.oc0 and
$1,000 men were killed ana wounded in
those two years Sporadic fights took |
place all over Venezuela asid Colombia, !
but chiefly among the great mountain |
ranges, the tortucus spurs of the North |
ern Andes.
The whole region is wonderfully adapt
ed for such warfare. In this respect it
even excels South Africa. There are
thousands of fierce spirits in these Repub-
hes whose thirst for lighting is un-
quenchable. The idiosyncrasy comes of
the mixture of Spanish and Indian blood.
Large numbers of the population are
also descendants of the old buccaneers
and pirates. No race of people on earth
can fight more bravely. No people are so
Incapable of self-government
Last January Lord Ernest Hamilton
gent to London special letter from Pana-
ma, in which he gave appalling figures of
casualties in the fighting that had been
proceeding for two years
between Venezueians and Colombians.
People here generally imagined that he
was retailing some delusions circulated on
the Central American Isthmus but his
statistics were only too correct, lurid
though they were as records of slaughter.
Five turbulent spirits are responsible
Tor the chaos that now rcigns in these re
saons. They are Cypriano Castro. Presi.
dent of Venezuela; Senior Jose de Mario
quin, Vice President and Acting Chief Ex-
tcutive in Colombia (Which is at present
]
President of Ecuador; General Tribe
Uribe, the Colombian insurgent chief. who
s encouraged by President Castro, and
Cen Rangel Gelbiros, the Venezuelan
'evoluticnist, who has taken refuge in
Colombia and is the ally of Senior de Mar
roquin
1t will at once be seen how inextricably
complicated is the position. Venezuela
md Colombia have each an internal revo-
ution in progress. which might be consid-
,reo sufficient trouble; but each is for ,
'yer virtually at war with its neighbor.
hough war is not actually declared. |
There is no need to declare it 1t goes on
But Why?
The cause OF the curse is the same | .
which is beginning SO impressIvely to
trike the European consciousness in con-
lection with the anti-clerical movement in
'outh Europe. All through Latin Christ
ndonn the priests have been going too
ar. They have interfered vastly too
much in politics {
If we keep constantly in view fhe fart .
have just mentioned. the situation is all ,
he time Ineligible. The two leading
actions In both Venezuela and Colombia a
re the Liberals. or Anti-Clericals, and I
he Ciericals. The real cause of the r
hronic warfare between these two pro-
fnces is the sympathy of the Anti-Cieri- .
ais in Venezuela with the corresponding d
arty In Colombia, who now cOmurise the 4
nsurgent element led by Uribe-Uribe
One thing is certain, that President :
.artro has been all the time backing this
colombian revolutionist; hence the wrath
{ the Government at Bogota Hence also r
he very natural retaliation of Marroquin 4,
n the shape OF active help extended Gen
raj Galbrios, the rebel, against Castro
nd the Venezuelan Government.
Each Government has a very nice little c
asus beili Indeed, II is never without q.
ne. President Castro has an army OF
little over 1000 men encampcd In d for l
lidable mountain stronghold at San Girls I
obsl close to the middle Of the boundary | a
etween the two countries. Many hot +
ghts have taken place near this spot, |
nd many more VIII happen. I
An element Of real imperialism enters
nto this complicatio Of South American | q
olitics. General Cribe-Urlbe is known |
s "Great Colombian" His ambition
70 unite the 100000 people of the three I
lepublics under one Government. 2
This is no mere dream, for the three | /,
tates were born in 1880 by the splitting
p OF the original immense Colombia at =
be death of the illustrious Bolivar, the il
enius. finally srna shed the Spanish domi- :
alton. In the United States, Tribe ,
'ribe is great favorite He is well
nown in New York, where he lived in I
ltion which he is now conducting.
His rival. President Castro. is an equal
able man, and gained power by means I
his brilliant ability. BE marched fully
imself raised a rebellion. and fought all :,
ne way. triumphsntly entering the cap
al and driving out the Government He Il
the greatest Of South American orators | g
When he determined 10 overthrow Pres /,
lent Andrade. he drilled men on his own
antation, and organized forces which he
ore on his hat the device, From San |,
ntonio to Caracas That meant the | .