Evening star., 1901-08-03
SOUTH AMERICAN TROUBLES
POSSIBLE WAR BETWEEN VENE-
ZUELA AND COLOMBIA.
Each Republic Has an Uprising ON It's
Hands-CastrO's Relations
With Uribe.

The political situation In the neighboring
republics of Venezuela and Colombia in
South America, and the possibility Of war
between those two states, is attracting
considerable attention in diplomatic circles.
Should war actually result the authorities
in each country would not only have to
deal with their foreign enemies, but also
with their domestic foes, as each of the
countries now has what practically
amounts to civil war on its hand. Meth
er the Colombian nor the Venezuelan lega-
ton here has much direct information
which will throw additional light upon the
situation in their respective countries, and
the cable reports are exceedingly conflict
ing. The officials at the Colombian lega-
tion are at a loss to understand the report
of President Castro's declaration of mar
tial law on the ground that his country is
being invaded by Colombia. The revoiu-
tion, headed by DR.. Galviras, who crossed
the Venezuelan border from Colombia,
where he had taken refuge, is in no sense
an invasion by Colombians. DR.. Galviras
belonged to the party of Andrade, who was
overthrown by Castro. and he is simply
heading rebellion of Venezuelans against
the latters authority. No definite infor-
nation has been received here regarding
the whereabouts of General Tribe, who In
his turn Is heading movement against the
present government in Colombia, from the
Venezuelan side. The last news of his
whereabouts was that he was at Maracaibo
and had not yet crossed into Colombia,
where it was supposed he would attempt
to effect a juncture with Marin, noted
guerrilla, who is still carrying on vesuge
of the last revolution in the mountains Of
the central range of the Andes.
Castro and Tribe.
It has be,n notorious that Castro was
friendly to Uribe, but unless the president
of Venezuela actually intends to make war
upon Colombia 1t is hardly probable that
he has been in open conference with Tribe
at Caracas as was stated in cable printed
in one Of the papers yesterday morning. 1t
is pointed out that even If Castro was so
disposed this would be hardly an oppor-
tune time for him to make war upon Co.
lombia as against the 3OOO.OO0 inhabitants
of Venezuela Colombia has 5000,OOO, and in
addition to having an open rebellion upon
his hands Castro at the very outset would
have to confront an organized Colombian
army of at least O,O00 men. At the Colom-
bian legation here the movement headed
by Tribe Is not thus far considered at all
serious. A report received here on July 20
gave news of projected simultaneous In
vasion of Colombia from Venezuela, Ecua-
dor and Nicaragua.
The Uprising on the Isthmus.
Nothing has since been heard Of the
movement of Ecuador; Tribe has not
crossed the border from Venezuela and the
uprising of the rebels on the isthmus re-
ported in dispatches from Colon seems to
have been small affair, and abortiye at
that.
A cablegram has been received at the
State Department from the United States
consul at Colon stating that If the present
revolutionary troubles In that section be-
come more aggravated the traffic across
the isthmus will surely become Interrupted.
The United States government is bound by
a treaty to keep this traffic open to the
world. No request for warship to be sent
to the scene Of trouble has been made.