Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-12-19

]
! the Present Trouble.
"The European forces in venezueii
have entered upon a bigger job thar
the subjugatlon OF the Beers, IL have
any military Judgment" said Genera
L. L. Mollneux recently to New YOrl
Herald reporter. Unless this i'm
broglio is settled before the war spirit
of the rural population of Nenezuela
is aroused. American as well as Euro
pean property interests will suffer Sc
verely and many lives will be sacri
feed too.
president Castro has practically
healed all internal dissensions by his
spunky attitude toward the European
powers. White men have rarely pene'
trated into The interior of Venezuela
Unless the custom houses and seaboard
towns are quickly abandoned word OF
the situation will reach the half saw
age natives of the interior and q har-
assing guerrilla war will result
LuItltdu blANtlS, fSpttlulls oti
mans. have drilled the native uniform
ed troops. The reyolutionists have
gradually acquired a considerable stock
of modern arms and ammunition. From
personal acquaintance | can state that
the ellanos, or plainsmen, of the interior
are the best fighters south Of the Unit
ed States. From now on any man or
woman not Of dark complexion will be
a victim OF their enmity.
IF the European light draft cruisers
or gunboats have withdrawn from La
Guayra and Puerto Cabello and intend
to 20 around TO Maracaibo, the i'm
mense coffee, cocoa and other interests
of Europeans, and Americans, too, will
suffer disastrOusly.
yellow Jack, night and day, in sea-
son and out, will he President Castros
best ally. Venezuela has all the essen.
rials for n prolonged fight within her
borders coffee, cattle and cocoa for
food, hides and flax for apparel and an
indomitable fighting spirit when once
aroused. Taking few small vessels
and seizlng n custom house or two is
like crunching paper shell almond,
but harder nut. regular Brazil nut,
will have 10 be cracked TO hold them.
Fort San Carlo, which commands
the upper approaches to the town of
Maracaibo and Lake Maracaibo, Is not
without great deal Of defensive power
against the heaviest guns the European
fleets can possibly present. The inhab-
itants of Apure, the province between
Caracas and Maracaibo. are known
throughout South America as brilliant
fighters. To them was due the winning
of independence from Spanish rule in
1Sl4-2O. 1t will be tedious, narrowing
matter for any power TO establish a
foothod or any permanent occupancy
against the consent of the natives"
The cause of the conflict between
Venezuela on one side and Great Brit.
ain and Germany on the other is OF
long standing, says Il Washington spe-
cial TO the New York Times. 1t grows
out of claims made by the govern
ments of Germany and Great Britain
for losses sustained by their respective
citizens by revolutions and disturb
ances. For a number of years past
Venezuela has been in a condition of
chronic revolution. and in the progress
of these numerous revolutions the prop
erty of foreigners has been destroyed
and appropriated at will by one or the
other party to the warfare. This has
proceeded until the damages have ag-
considerable sum. but to all
the Venezuelan govern
ment has given little attention, and it
has taken no steps toward bringing
about a settlement.
In the case of Great Britain the ag-
gregate damages are not so great as
those of Germany, the claims of the
latter being about 100000.
The claims are divided into two
classes. Those of the first class are
divided into two divisions. The first
division consists of claims for the de-
and appropriation of proper
ty by the insurgents and the govern
ment forces. In this are included the |
destruction of plantations and build |
lngs and the appropriation Of nova
Bile property. The insistence upon an |
adjustment of this class of claim has |
been more urgent than in regard to the
others. The second division consists of |
claims for losses sustained and dam
age done to the legitimate commerce
and trade of the Germans and British.
resulting from embargoes and In many
cases of absolute confiscation of mer-
chandise in transit and in store.
The second class embraces German
claims alone. These are four payments
overdue to Berlin banking house for
money loaned for the construction of q
'ailroad from La Guayra to Caracas,
he Venezuelan government having
the payments. This class
If claim, however, was not pressed and
Ices not enter into the immediate cause
If the present trouble.
Germany and Great Britain have been
earnestly for years to induce
he government of Venezuela to negoti-
tie for the settlement of the claims of
he first class. President Castro, how
'ver, has declined to enter into negoti-
ltions for the adjustment of the claims
'lther directly with the two govern.
nents concerned or by international ar
and has insisted that they
hall be referred to a tribunal of his
'wn creation, which, it seems Is per-
nanent body composed of Venezuelans
PRESIDENT Castros attention has been
directed to the fact that the claims Of
ne French government, similar to those
If Germany and Greot pri+oir -,