The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-11-15

Maracaibo. Venezuela October 81
A correspondent OF the Associated
Press has just had an interview with
General Uribe-Uribe. He found the
general strongly encamped in the Cor
dillera mountains, on the frontier line
between the Venezuelan state OF Ia
chira and the Colombian province OF
SantanGer. His headquarters were at
a hamlet called Louisiana, half a days
ride from San Cristobal, the capital of
Tachira. His command, numbering
several thousand Colombian liberals.
was holding the extreme left of the
Venezuelan line of defence, covering
the approaches of San Cristobal and the
Encentrados railroad from the direction
from Cucutua. General Chalbant Cor
donne held the center with General
Modesto Castro at the extreme right.
On the Colombian side General Val
encia, former minister; Juan Berti
and Range1 Garbiras, the Venezuelan
rebels. are IN command. Altogether
some 5000 soldiers stand face to face
on the frontier. Skirmishes and raids
across the frontier are of daily or rath-
er of nightly occurrence.
General Uribe-Uribe, readily consent
ed to an interview. Speaking fluently
in French he said:
LAS President Castro has but recent
ly declared, this is not an international
war between Venezuela and Colombia,
but struggle between the liberal and
conservative parties of both countries
Here in Venezuela we all serve under
the yellow standard of the liberal par
ty, as do our friends in Ecuador in
Guatamala, in Nicaragua and in the
liberal strongholds of the Colombian
Guijira. We helped repel the recent
attack on San Cristobal on the part Of
the Colombian and Venezuelan conser-
vatives under Garibiras and now we
have undertaken to help guard the
Venezuelan frontier against foreign at
tacks. My force is simply a part of
the Venezuelan line of defence and, as
its commander 1 stand under the or
ders of General Issimo Cipriano Castro.
Just like the other liberal general on
this side of the frontier
If were to engage in separate oper-
ations | should run the risk of interfer-
ing with the disposition of our fellow
liberals in the field and would probably
lose General Castro's support, especially
If l compromised his cause. We are as
yet strong enough to do without the
help OF our allies outside the confines
of Colombia.
There are some open promises and
engagements to which I stand COM
mitted, together with all my beloved
countrymen in the field. First of ALL
we have engaged ourselves in case of
success to do all in our power to change
the money standard of Colombia from
its 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
paper bills. which are now being turned
out in Bogota, by the bushel, shall be
withdrawn from circulation. Next, we
shall try to effect a definite settlement
of the isthmus canal question and of
the pending international negotiations.
We shall stand by all our national
treaties. as, for instance, the treaty
with the United States in 1916 guaran-
teeing the neutrality of the isthmus
railroad; but we shall put a definite
stop to the present underhand dicker-
ing for our most valuable concessions
to European countries. Colombian con-
cessions 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. 1 myself, as the only lib
eral representative in congress, voted
against such ratification. In defiance of
the Colombian constitution President
San Clemente, 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
$40, ,000, 600. How much better it would
be to put this sum OF money into the
construction of the canal.
I'VE have had enough Of Panama
frauds. We do not want the French
| to meddle 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 done in regard 10 the
! trans-isthmus railroad. Even at the
| present juncture, we have no objection
| to the landing OF American troops al
the isthfnus. Come what may between
| us and our conservative enemies, We
1 know that the Americans VIII content
| themselves with protecting the rail.
| road. l have implicit trust that thej
L hold the balance triIeh