The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-22

All the members of the diplomatic
corps, on behalf of countrymen who
have interests in Venezuela, watch
Castro with suspicious, untrusting
eyes. For the Dictator has more than
once openly asserted that If he could,
he would annul all concessions of land
granted to foreigners by his predeces-
sors, and sell the same over again to
others. He actually did annul con-
cessions enjoyed by the various Grin
oco, River companies-all American
concerns. But he has not yet sue
ceeded in selling these over again.
For the sum of forty thousand dol
lars, however he granted a concession
of a part Of an American asphalt COM
panys mines in the state of Bermudez.
But the mines thus disposed of belong
to the asphalt company both by right
of concession of many years standing
and by purchase in fee simple. Hence
Castro had sold property which an
American corporation owned outright
This, in a nutshell, was the cause OF
the asphalt war. In the first days of
this Industrial fight the then United
States Minister, Mr.. Loomis, in for
rmal conference with Castro, suggested
that VeneZuelans should protect Amer
lean interests in their country in or
der to encourage the investment of
American capital in the development
of Venezuelan industries. Mr.. LOOMS
concluded with the statement that
Castro's attitude toward the asphalt
company was opposed to the policy
just outlined, and was calculated to
antagoniZe Yankee capital. To which
Castro, in his reply, gave this token of
international courtesy:
well, Mr.. LoomiS, those American
asphalt people are getting very excited
Take them to a saloon and give them
some ice cream to cool them off.
Even the course of justice is per-
verified as Castro wills. The Dictator
recently informed the Attorney Cen
eral that his legal arguments in the
famous asphalt dispute ought to be In
favor of the coneessionaire's enemies.
The Attorney General, however, hand
ed down an opinion in favor of the
concessionaire. The upshot of the mat
ter was that the Attorney General was
compelled to resign, and a lawyer who
agreed to think with Castros mind was
appointed in his place.
The law in Venezuela commands the
Judge of the Superior Court in each
federal district to inspect prisons, as
certain through the prisoners them
selves how their cases are progressing,
hear their complaints and provide rem
edies. The judge of the Caracas dis
trict has very recently not only COM
piled with this law, but has made
public the result of his Investigations.
He mentions facts proving that under
Castro's government justice does not
run in the path of law, that there are
individuals in the prisons who were
committed by Castro's agents instead
of by the courts; that number of
newspaper men in the prisons have
been waiting for months, and are still
waiting for trial, and that the most
shocking abuses are practiced within
the prison walls. Following up the
publication of these revelations. the
Judge advised the lower judges to
proceed at once with the delayed cases
and to order the release of all pris-
oners unlawfully deprived of their lib
erty. His orders will not be carried
out, but Castro has just thrown him
into prison to share the fate OF those
whom he tried to help.
Gibson Willet.