Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-12-15
PREPARING FOR WAR.
Two Thousand Venezuelan Sol
diers Reach Caracas and
Enlistment Continues.
la ClJAlRA is NOW BLOCKADED.
Leading German and British Resi-.
dents Very Bitter Against Their
Respective Ministers-The United
States Closely Watching Events.

States Closely Watching Events.
Puerto Cabello, Dec. 15-The Brit
ish cruiser Charybdis and the German
cruiser Vineta bombarded the fortress
here at o'clock Saturday afternoon
and quickly sileneed it. The bonn.
bardment lasted for As minutes The
fortress is composed of Fort Solano
and the Castle Libertador After the
firing ceased the Charybdis sent ma
rines to occupy the castle. TIE fort
ress was almost demolished. 1t is
probable that only few persons were
injured by the Smelling. The com.
mander of Castle I4ibertader has been
taken prisoner The cruisers are still
here
The people of Puerto Cabello can.
not account for this precipitate action
on the part of the allies, which they
consider to be proof that Great Brit
ain and Germany intend forcing war
upon Venezuela.
The British marines purpose to
make use of the cannon in Castle
Libertador No damage was done to
the town. The excitement of the peo-
pie Is subsiding.
Blockadine La Guaira.
London, Dec. 15.-In a dispatch
from Willemstad, Curacao, dated Dec.
IA, the correspondent of the Daily
Mail says the Anglo-German warships
ere blockading La Guaira. The
steamer Yucatan was warned by the
British cruiser interchangeable not to
enter La Guaira and returned to
Curacao.
The Venezuelan government has de
clined the offer of a loan, made by a
German banker of Caracas, to settle
the claims against it.
British Legation Reopened.
Caracas, Dec. 15.-The British le-
cation here was reopened Saturday
night under the American flag by w
w. Russell secretary of the Ameri
can legation.
The statement that Italy, through
her legation here, is to demand pay
ment of her claims against Vene-
zuela has been confirmed.
The situation in Caracas continues
to be critical and there is intense ex.
element among the German resi-.
dents of the city. Saturday the Ger.
mans sought refuge at the American
legation, where they will be sheltered
Mr.. Bowen has gotten in quantities
of all kinds Of provisions, to be pre-
pared for any emergency.
The enlistment of Venezuelan sol
diers continues. Two thousand men
from the provinces of Caracas and
Valencia came into this city Saturday.
Priests are preaching for war. 1t IS
reported that 80 Germans living in the
country have offered to support the
Venezuelan government
Bitter Against Ministers.
Leading German and British resi-
dents of Caracas are very bitter
against their respective ministers,
whom they accuse of leaving Caracas
without giving any intimation of their
intention to abandon the city.
The people of Caracas are aston.
ished that the government at Wash
ington remains silent in spite of the
recent acts Of the allied feet
The fact that the people of Vene
zuela are in absolute ignorance Of the
dsigns of the allies upon their coun.
try creates a deep and disturbing i'm
preston here. The chief officer of
President Castro's guard said Satur,
day to the representative of the AS.
ISOLATED Press:
If there is to be war, let us know
and we will fight If there is to be
only an assault on our coast, where
we cannot reach the allies, the only
thing left for us to do is to declare
that to destroy your debtors furni
ture is a strange way to force the
payment of his obligation. I believe
this situation will soon come within
the scope of the Monroe doctrine"
Closely Watching.
Washington, Dec Is. Minister
Bowen, in a dispatch received by the
state department yesterday afternoon
eabled that he had been informed by
President Castro that British and Ger
man warships were bombarding
Puerto Cabello.
Aside from the dispatches from Min
lister Bowen there were no important
developments in the Venezuelan sit
uation so far as the state department
is concerned. The officials are watch
ing events with keen interest, so as
to be able to act promptly should
such step become necessary. but
nothing was done yesterday, except
to make some representations to the
German and English governments in
the matter of the peaceful blockade
now being enforced by those govern.
ments in Venezuelan waters.
Cautionary Measure.
In the matter Of the blockade the
secretary has instructed our ambassa
doris at Berlin and London to repre-
sent to those governments that the
United States must not be understood
as giving its consent to any extension
of the international right of peaceful
blockade. 1t Is not known that this
instruction was called forth by any
incident making such representation
necessary It was made simply as a
cautionary measure and gives the at
titude Of this government should any
development arise making its position
a matter of Importance.