The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-15
VENEZUELA WANTS PEACE General Castro Issues a Statement.
 COLOMBIA IS AT FAULT Has Not Replied to Memoran-
 dunn Through Rice. The President of Venezuela Says the Friendship of Colombia Would Be No Advantage to His Government.
COLOMBIA IS AT FAULT

La Guayara, Venezuela, Oct H.-Gen'
 eral Cipriano Castro President of vene. | zuela. made the following statement to- | day regarding the Venezuelan-C Colombian situation:
 T earnestly desire peace between | Colombia and Venezuela, but consider | that by reason of the Venezuelan memo
 randum and our requests. communi ;ated | automatically through pr. Rice, Colom- | bian Minister to Venezuela, for an ex- ! planation of the invasion of Tachira 1T | July by Colombian troops, Venezuela has | taken the first step toward peaceful settlement
 | Tt would be against the nationa
 dignity and honor of Venezuela to take
 another step in this direction until an ex
 planatory answer had been received. The | invasion of Tachfa was the first openly | aggressive act in this trouble. It wa: the act of Colombia and therefore she
 should today follow up our initiative to-
 ward a peaceful settelment.
 NO; I do not consider ColomDia's ac. ceptance of the offer of the United States
 to extend their good offices to mediate | between the courtries-which has beer reported In the press here-as a concilia- | tory answer to oIr diplomatic requests through Dr. Rice. If Colombia would of- | ficially notify Venezuela that she had ac-
 cepted the United States as a mediator Venezuela could md would gladly con- IofA ha od dyiS nf addraSSinK fhf United States as ,ne representative oi Colombia with tic idea of reaching g peaceful settlement.
 Will Guard Frontier. While waiting Colombia's answer we most decidedly cannot, directly or in. directly approach Colombia again in q conciliatory manner. Meantime we rhal 1 continue to guard our frontier against invasion. If Colombia does not answer difficulties doubtless will arise. With the two lines of armed men face to face on the frontier this Is to be expected. Venezuela can get along very well without Colombia. We have no business nor commerce to speak of with ner. There | is no need of a continuance of diplomatic relations These haze been suspended during the last five years between ene- zuela and France. Yet, together, both
 
 them.
 q sympathize with :he Colombian
 Liberals, who are revolting against the conservative government of Colombia. Gladly would I see th' downfall If that priest-ridden. Incompetent government which so long as 1t continues in power | will, l believe. try to cause me trouble and will constitute a standing .nenance | to the internal tranquility of Venezuela.
 "The conservative government tf Co.,
 Iombia has other opponents, notably Ecuador and Nicaragua. both of which States would be glad to witness its down. | fall and the end of the conservatives.
 Will Crush Revolution. | "As for the present indpient revolution | in Venezuela. l shall cruIh 1t so severely | that there will never be another in the | country. Every spasmodc uprising las
 thus far been rapidly and effectively re- | pulsed. Already have imprisoned many nationalists and l shall continue to inn
 prison them. Within two months the movement against me will be crushed. "It is costing us much money to main tain our present army ol the frontier. | Nevertheless the country must defend | order. preserve the national dignity and | be ready to repel invaders
 | On the best authority he Associated | Press l ate the statement that the government of Venezuela is still opposed to an attack
 upon Colombia, prefering to remain upon | inc defensive and to maintain the status | quo Venezuela wants Ieace but cn | terms that would conserve the dignity and honor of the country. Dirict or indirect peace proposals from | Colombia-which Venezuea. notwith- standing the occurrences of last month on the Guajuira peninsula. insists upon considering the sole aggressor-w woald he welcomed by the Caracas cabinet. IT. feeling is growing in Caracas, especially | in official circles, that the mediation of
 A third party eventually vii be required
 and that the United States Government is
 best qualified to act
 Venezuela probably will be able to keep
 her present armed footing on frontier for | six or eight months ere the finances of the country will require the issuance of
 paper money or an appeal to forced leans.