The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1902-09-05

GENERAL HAS LOST TIME

tcorreaoondcnce Of Associated presa.)
CARACAS Venezuela, Aus. ?7.--Dur-
Ing the past fortnight the Venezuelan
revolution has lost time and ground,
The inaurrecton was short time
ago Ia undlepuled poKpesnlon of Caru-
pano. cumana. Barcelona and Quay.
IA, that Is 10 say all the eastern coast
VI Venezuela. but owing TO the ability
and hkiii OF General velutini. corsl-
ran nf extraordinary intelligence.
large commercial tort has been wrest-
cd from them.
General Castro iA at San CaHimlro
his vanguard being at Camatagua. lie
In awaiting rrinforeementa IN order 20
attack the rryoiutlonists, who are at
present AT urpeia de orltuco, His ar
my, which Ii estimated AT 5000 men.
IN well armed and disciplined Gas.
tro'E FIRST lieutenant. General Leopold
natlsta, IL at villa de Curn with 1000
mrn, and General Arauco has an army
Of 5000 men masscd on the frontier
Of the state OF Trujillo. Such are the
available forces OF the government
The troops OF the revolution are
much disseminated, II is Impossible
To diagnose It's present condition. II
seems Ia aufrer from general indis-
position impossible TO analyze. but II
IL clear that although very powerful
on the frst OF July. II has since de-
veioped both moral and physical weak
ness.
General Maloo. The revolutionary
leader. has during the past two months
been inactive NJ Xaraza. surveying the
arrival Of ave million cartridges which
reach him slowly. To those unac-
qualnted with Venezuela, II may seem
strange, nay incredible. that II re-
squirca so long TO mobilize an army.
but II In both natural and inevitable,
Roads do not 'yist. rain falls in tor
rents and the mules. which Is the only
means Of transport, sink daily UP TO
their shoulders In the mud. and as
each mule carries only 1000 cartridges,
that In to say, four boxes OF 900 each,
It Is necessary to employe $500 men to
transport the 100000 cartridges Of
the rcvolutionists but to find this
number Of mules In country ruined
by four years Of revolution Is not only
very dlfiienlt. "a: almost Impossible.
The revolutionista have, moreover,
been obliged to construct bridges and
that without adequate tools or engin-
eera,
In word. In spite OF the towns
which they occupy and the thousands
of men whom the have under arms,
they are 20 scattered that II Ia not a
negative quantity they are very diff
flcult to get at The revolutIonlsts
were dangerous before the government
went out to attack them, but now
their ability To attack the government
hns become problcmatioal, 1t IL no
longer local war which they VIII be
constrained to carry on. but an In
yaslon. This does not mean that the
revolution will lose, nor Ia this even
suggested but General Castro IL now
In position to defend himself. He
| IN
to emerge from the struggle victorious,
because the revolutionists In addition
TO Matos' army, have about 5000 men
at Alta Gracia under the orders OF
Domingo Monagas, Rolando and Pen
aloza. Generals Luciano Mendoza, Ri
era and Solaglni are near Barqulsmeto
and Duaca. The envlrone OF Valencia
are overrun with revolutIon'sts' Los
Teques Is also In their power and 400
are lodged In the mountains between
Caracas and In Guayra, Neverthe-
less, the government lIye.' commands
and makes itself obeyed which proves
that II IL not yet crushed
A great battl. Ia expected to take
place within four of five weeks either
at Alta Gracla de orltuco " Matos can
bring over his ammunition and ad-
vance hls army or between Aragulta
and Santa Lucia, valley which the
revolutionists will probably attempt
to pass In order to reach Caracas,
From financial point o. view Presi-
dent Castro has regalned his lost pres
tlge through the arrival of the mill
lion bollvars (coins worth about 20
cents in silver brought TO him by the
steamer Philadelphia.
This sum has enabled him to face
certain pressing engagements and TO
prove to his adversaries that he has
found In the coming Of silver even
with 50 per cent profit, certain legal
resources which will avoid the neces-
sity Of having recourse to forced loans.