The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-15
Situation Throughout Vene-
zuela Tempestuous and
Uncertain.
PRESIDENT HOLDS CARACAS
Reyolutionists Have Puerto CabellO to
West and Barcelona to East and
General Maltos Is Sixty Miles Away
From caracas-The Church Trouble.

Commander Rodgers OF the Marietta
reported to the Navy Department this
morning that ne had arrived at La
Guaira. the seaport of Caracas, Yene-
zueIa's capital city He has Just re-
turned from the orinceo River and it is
possible that the Marietta viii be held
at La Guaira for SOME time
II seems inevitable that President
Castro viii be driven out Of the country
by the insurgents and in that event he
Is likely to call upon the United States
for protection 70 his life The Marietta
would then be needed to take him on
board
Situation in Venezuela.
The situation IN Venezuela as learned
here from ali sources, official and other
wise. is this: President Castro stiIl
holds the capital, Caracas. and its near
by port, La Gualra-The insurgents hold
Puerto CabeIIo to the wes. and BARGE
Iona, to the east, while q third army.
under General MaItos. has crossed the
Orinoco River. at Angostura and is
presumably operating somewhere be-
tween Caracas and UTituco, an inland
town about sixty miles south OF the
capital.
Overland transportation from these
points 20 the capital IS probably very
difficult. and the advance upon Castro
is likely to be considerably retarded
Still the end seems certain, and the be-
lief that Castro win be foTSed 10 fee IS
generally held IN the Navy and State
departments
News Not Complete.
There seems to be missing link IN
the information from Puerto CabelIo.
Venezuela Prior to q dispatch re-
ceived yesterday vas one which said the
insurgents had surrounded the place
and threatened TO capture it. that Ger
man marines we're about to land and
asking instructions as TO the landing
of American marines Yesterday Com
mander Nickels of the Topeka wired
that the insurgents we're in control OF
Puerto CabeIIo and that there was no
danger Of its recapture by the govern
ment. He also said that there had been
no necessity fer landing American ma
rines. No report, however. has been
received as TO when the town was taken
or how
Nfckels' silence on This important
point was very puzzIing TO the Navy
Department last night and II was only
after several transiations and readings
of the dispatches that the officials were
convinced that it said the insurgents
held Puerto CabeIIo-
Cipher Code to Blame
cipher codes. and particularly the one.
in use by the navy as explained at
length by witnesses in the Schley trial,
ere so limited in vocabulary that guess
work is often necessary in translating
messages. Il is therefore probable that
in the double translation in code at
Puerto Cabello and back into English al
the Bureau of Navigation plain state
ment became considerably warped This,
however. would not account for the ab-
senee of any report en- the CAPTURE CT
the towns.
An element in the Venezuelan situa-
tfon. previously not generally known, is
disclosed by the statement Of a gentle
man now il this city. but who formerly
resided IN South America for many
years. that underlying the revolution is
a feeling of hostility TO the church
As in most Latin countries the church
and government has been closely allied.
Castro, it is asserted, was not content
to merely help himself with liberal hand
from the church Golfers, but used the
friars to extort money from the people
The exact <Ianner Of this extortion is
not explained. save that it was through
excessive taxation. When revolt be-
gan ii vas as much divided against the
church as against Castro This explains
in part why the latter was not deposed
long ago. The priests apparently ex-
erted their influence in his behalf