The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-12-17
MARINES LANDED IN VENEZUELA,
CASTRO'S NAVY DESTROYED.
Hostile Anelo.oernnan Fleet Moves
on lagusyra to Enforce Pay.
ment OF Claims.

The combined Anglo.German fleet
entered the harbor of I.aguayra We'd
neSday, December 10, aud anchored
Witnln 800 feet OF the custom house
and began landing marines. Ten
Herman and four British cutters at
4 O'Clock Tuesday afternoon seized
In the harbor the Venezuelan war.
ships General Crespo. Tutumo, Ossun
and Margarita. which had $50 men on
board. They went alongside the
Venezuelan vessels and ordered them
TO surrender and without a shot be.
ing fred the British and German
forces seized the feet in the name of
the German Emperor and the King Of
England Two of the vessels which
were undergoing repairs we're broken
mn. The German cruiser Panther
steamed into the harbor during these
proceedings with her decks cleared
for action. The Venezuelan steamers
were taken outside the harbor and
the General Crespo and Tutumo and
Margarita were sunk. The Ossun
was the only vessel spared. In view
of the protest made by the French
charge diaffaires, QuievreuX, who
notified the commodore of the allied
fleet that the Ossun is the property
of a Frenchman. One hundred and
thirty German sailors proceeded to
Car1onal, a suburb of Laguayra, in
which is situated the residence OF
German Consul Lentz, who, with his
family they escorted to Laguayra and
placed on board the warship Vineta.
On their way back the sailors met o
Na,.t, r
collision took place. A landing party
of 30 British seamen went TO the
British consulate and conducted the
British consul r. Schunck. and his
family on board the Retribution. The
German and British residents have
been arrested by Venezuelan forces
with the exception of FieldN orii,
Price and Lepase. directors of the
harbor corporation. who barricaded
themselves in their houses. They
were rescued by British sailors and
taken to the Retribution. Their
houses were surrounded by Nenc-
zuelan policemen. but when 320 sail
ors marched to their relief the police
men made no resistance. All the
stores and banks at l.aguayra were
closed. Great excitement prevailed
as the population were afraid that the
town would he shelled by the Anglo
German vessels. A Venezuelan gov
ernment communication to its repro
sentative at Paris, France, protests
that Great Britain and Germany, act
ing in concert, have committed an act
of hostility in manner as arbitrary
as II is unprecedented by the seizure
| .T lxin OF | "a on.
ayra. The communication says that
| indignation in Venezuela is at Its
| highest pitch and the government Is
rcSorting to reprisals. 1t has arrest
ed the resident subjects of both hos
tile countries and has seized the rail
ways and other undertakings belong
| ing to them. At the British and Cor
man embassies at Washington it was
said that President Castro's arrests
| of German and British subjects IN
Venezuela are sufficient ground for a
declaration of war. Mr.. Bowen
| United States minister at CancaS,
who had undertaken to look after the
interests of British and Germans. at
once demanded of Castro their re-
| lease. Castro at first demurred, but
wher Mr.. Bowen produced his au
thorlty from the German and British
onvoys, who had left Caracas. he con
sented to release the principal pris
| oners, and MIR. Bowen Will insist on
the release of the remainder In the
House of Commons of England Lord
Cranbourne. under foreign secretary
said that the British claims against
Venezuela that necessitated coercion
included demand for compensation
for interference with trading vessels
tho Imprisonment and Ill treatment
of British subjects and the destruc
tion OF the property.