The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-03
Venezuela Relieves That He Was
Unduly Partial TO the Asphalt
Trust in the Gigantic Con
troversy, but Indica-
tons Are That He
Was Not.
Correspondence Of The Republic.

been a new revolution I'm Venezuela This
time II has beer one OF sentiment rather
than of blood and doodle. In 1896. when w
w. Russell landed as the new American
Charge d'Affaires. the President sent the
national military band OF sixty pieces
twenty-seven miles over the mountain rail-
road to serenade him as he stepped on the
dock at La Guayra. Tho other day. when
Frank r. LOOMS. the American Minister.
took HIS departure. he was eAecrated In the
streets of Caracas. and would have been
hooted I'm the precincts OF La Guayra but
for a wholesome fear of the bluetackets OF
the United States ship Scorpion. waiting to
take him away.
When Mr.. Russell came all Venezuela
was aiame with enthusiasm for the Stars
and Stripes. because arbitration with Great
Britain over the boundary question had
been forced. When Mr.. LOOMS went away
all Venezuela was achill with scorn because
IL was believed that the United states was
playing the part Of coercion In the asphalt
question.
Here is another illustration: About the
time that the national military band was
serenading Mr.. Russell as the representative
Of rhe United States. in 1896. a great cor
poration. known as the American Ware
house Company. was beginning business in
Caracas. II was organized 10 sell all sorts
OF American products in tenezaela. me
era of good feeling was to be taken ad-
vantage of. and the Republic of Andrade
was to be flooded with machinery from the
States Manufacturers from ,n New and f Sex
England were interested in the enterprise:
Big capital was behind it. and the Red ID"
Line ran for months with fuller carsoes
Americans Are Gone.
l visited the building of the American
Warehouse Company to-day. IT was an
were occupied as the headquarters Of the
Minister OF Fomento. 1t spacious court was
filled with American machinery-dynamos.
corn shelters, coffee mills. fodder cutters.
plows ard harrows. Its manager. Rudolf
Doldge. has gone of to Egypt TO open an
other American warehouse. leaving the
dynamos and things in charge of Manuel
Jove. to be sold for anything anybody would
give.
ago was an American colony of perhaps 10.
They were in business or looking for bust
ness opportunities. You may walk through
the streets of Castro's capital to-day from
morning to night and never hear the Eng
lish tongue spoken. The American colony IS
now less than a score; By the time this let
ter Is published il will be less than a doz-
en-. For a period at least 1t Is to be. so
lar as Americans are concerned. "Nenezn-
are going away discouraged.
What is the cause? Generally speaking.
asphalt. Ask any Venezuelan. from Presi-
dent Castro down. and he will say Loomis.
This brings me to the question in which
most Americans are interested, the recall
Of the United States Minister. The reasons
tihtiCfbis ~ al POtul IL NlcW.
have been fully given i'm the United States.
II becomes Interesting. however. to study
the event from a Caracas viewpoint. IL not
through Venezuelan spectacles.
Hatred of MI. LOomis.
There is no doubt that Mr.. Loomis Is
hated here more vindictively than the fugi-
power. The cartoons which were published,
The newspaper attacks which were made
upon him. the references to him in the the
aters and the cafes. all. so far as 1 can as
certain. RI ected public sentiment. His in
tegrity Was assailed, He was bitterly re-
Siied and insuited: Finally. when things
Castro through his Minister of Foreign Az
fairs. Senior Blanco. demanded his recall.
said the United states would NOT recall
Minister LOOMS. but would ask him to
come home for consultation. The situation
now Is tnat Minister Loomis Is In a state of
1t is impossible that he should return to
Caracas SO long as the present government
cis IN power he Is persona non grata, even
> more SO than any diplomatic representative
mat l can now recall ever was. No one
VIII question the right of one government
resentative of another. There are countless
= instances establishing that right. But the
LOOMS, is that he should have got himself
In such a position. This quiet, young Ohio
new spaper man. with the stoop shoulders of
should he be driven forth into the cold
world from his snug twelve thousand dollar
u year pOSftiOng
Again the answer comes, Asphalt"
Cause Of the Trouble.
1t II not necessary for the purposes uf
this article to go into a discussion of the
and Bermudez company came into possess
sion of the asphalt lake Of Bermudez or the
methods through which the Warner & Quin-
Of this lake. known as Felicidad. Nor Is IL
necessary at this time to enter upon a dis
cussion OF the merits of the various claims,
EnnrrRh h0R0 An a0Nv fhot H. a. ~
and Bermudez company, through mistaken
lines, were located by a later survey on ton
Of a hill far beyond their lake; that the
warner & Quinlan concern put in a claim
to a part OF the actual property that the
New York and Bermudez company had been
working uninterruptedly. and without dis
pute. for years; that a great legal fight be-
gan. and the tribunal that the New York
and Bermudez company had asked to de-
state Department at Washington became
convinced that wrong was being done. and
in the Interest Of the Bermudez concern had
and the countries came to the brink ct
war.
Bear these facts in mind. They are all
that are needed in considering the situation
as bearing on our Minister. and his recall
for consultation" When the contest got
warn Caracas ma became bear arl Literally an armed
from New York. Some of them were of III
ternational reputation. Down in the State
Gated, was an actual armed camp. the New
York and Bermudez company ordering
down several cases OF rifles and a howitzer
to prevent dispossession. That the property
the New York and company held
and q portion Of which, known as Fell
cidad. Warner & Quinlan were seeking to
control-really belonged to the former will
probably be the opinion of a majority Cf
those who examine the thousands Of pages
Of briefs and testimony.
MI. LOOmis Took Sides.
1t was certainly the opinion of Minister
Boomis. His motives may have been of the
hest and doubtless were. Perhaps he was
acting Under instructions from Washington.
Perhaps his instructions from Washington
were based on his own reports from Ca
political influences were at work. both in
Washington and at the American Legation,
in behalf Of the New York and Bermudez
COMPANY. No doubt a sense OF justice con-
trolied all his actions.
To the Venezuelans the contest was mere
ly a tight between two corporations. with
headQuarters in the United States. They
sides. That was where the trouble began
between Minister LOOMS and Venezuela. As
the nght became warmer all the more ur-
gent did Minister Loomis become In adyo-
eating the cause of the New York and
Bermudez company. He insisted that Cas-
tro should order a decision for Bermudez.
HIS attitude was that Of a man who be-
committed at the expense of an inoffensive
citizen. He had become convinced that the
New York and Bermudez company was be-
ing deprived Of its rights without warrant
of law. He began to say so to washington
In tho meantime the rival asphalt COM
pany was not idle. The Minister soon be
came the chief object of attack. The ad-
-s-r-S.no- ,uu hostile IN the Now