Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-02
CASTRO WANTS WAR.
President of Venezuela Appears to D.
sire Conflict With Colombia.

President Of Venezuela Appears TO De-
sire Conflict With Colombia.
Washington, Sept. 2.-It is feared
here that it may not be possible to pre-
vent hostilities between Venezuela and
Colombia. The action of President
Castro in Withdrawing the exequaturs
of all the Colombia consuls in yenezu-
I ella can be interpreted only In one way
that 1t is determined;to force the two
countries into war.
AT the Colombian legation no official
information concerning the press dis
patches has yet been received, and it is
hoped that President Castro has not
taken step which will almost newt
ably lead to war. Minister Silva sent
a cablegram to his government tonight
asking for information as to the pres
ent situation. Colombia does not want
war.
Minister Silva and Secretary of Le-
CATION Herran are confident that the
people of Venezuela do not want war
They hold only one man responsible
for the present strained relations ex-
listing between the two republics and
that man is President Castro. They
believe that he realizes the movement
against him in his own country is
gaining strength daily and that he
hopes to counteract this and unite the
Venezuelans by plunging them into q
foreign war.
On no other hypothesis can his re-
cent course be explained. Taking adj
vantage of the undoubted fact that
some Of the Venezuelan insurgents
started on the Colombian side of the
frontier and then crossed over into
Venezuela, accompanied by such Col
ombian adventures as they could in
duce to join them, Castro issued in
tiammatory proclamations asserting
that Venezuela had been invaded by
Colombia.
With the meager facilities for learn
ing the truth which the people of Ven
ezuela have, in view of the rigorous
|telegraphic and press censorship, these
proclamations would only have the ef-
feet of arousing popular feeling against
Colombia. Castro has now followed
this up by withdrawal of the ex-
equatur of the Colombian consuls,
which will tend still further to impress
the Venezuelans with the idea that
Colombia is hostile nation
Thus far Colombia has not retail
sure troops have been concentrated at
points along the Venezuelan frontier.
Senor Pulido. the Venezuelan charge
d'affairs, said this evening that he
had not received any confirmation of
the press dispatches announcing the
withdrawal of the exequaturs of the
Colombian consuls, and did not be-
lieve that they We're accurate.
ut is possible said he, that this
action may have been taken in regard
to one or two consuls. Some of the
Colombian consuls in Venezuela are
Venezuelans, and it may be that they
have been aiding the insurgents in
Venezuela"
The state department has not vet
been informed of the dismissal of the
Colombian consuls 1t is probable that
official reports will be received tomor-
row. If they bear out the press dis
patches they will indicate that the sit
uation has become much worse instead
of better In this event there will be
no disposition to recall any of the naval
vessels sent to the isthmus. On the
other hand the Machias may be re-en-
forced at Colombia by one or more
of the vessels of the north Atlantic
squadron. The battleship Iowa, which
has been coaling at Acapulco, sailed
from there last night for Panama, and.
with the Ranger will be all the force
that will be required on that side of
the isthmus.
Bryan to Be Invited.