Waterbury Democrat., 1902-09-04
THE VENEZUELAN REVOLUTION
It Is Thought to Have Lost Ground
of Late.

4 Caracas, Venezuela, Aug 27.-Dur-
ing the past fortnight the Venezuelan
revolution has lost time and ground
The insurrection was a short time ago
in undisputed possession of Carapano,
Cu1hana, Barcelona and Guiria, that Is
to say all the eastern coast of Venez-
uela, but owing to the ability ana
skill Of General Velutini, Cors1can
of extraordinary Intelligence, large
commercial port has been Wrested
from them.
General Castro is ait San Casimiro,
his vanguard being at Camafagua. he
is waiting reinforcements in order to
attack the revolutionists who are at
present at Alta Gracia de Orituco.
His army, which is estimated at 5000
is well armed and disciplined. Castros
first lieutenant. General Leopold Ba-
tista, is at Villa de sCura, with 1000
men and General Aranco has an
army of 5000 men massed on
the frontier of the state
of TruiilIo Such are the available
forces of the government.
The revolutionary troops are much
scattered. 1t is impossible to dag
nose the present condition of the in
surrection. 1t seems to suffer from a
general indisposition impossible to an
alyze, but it is clear that although very
powerful ON the first of July it has
since developed both moral and physi-
cal weakness.
General Matos, the revolutionary
leader, has during the past two months
been inactive at Zaraza, surveying the
arrival of his 100000 cartridges,
which reach him slowly To those un-
acquainted with Venezuela it may
seem strange, nay incredible, that it
requires so long to mobilize an army,
but it is both natural and inevitable.
Roads do not exist, the rain falls in
torrents and the mules, which are the
only means of transportation, sink
daily up to their shoulders in the mud:
and as each mule carries only 1000
caft-- ges, that is to say, four boxes
of 800. cartridges each, it is necessary
to employ $500 mules to transport the
100000 cartridges of the revolutions
lists. TO find this number of mules in
country ruined fy four years Of rev
olutions is not only difficult but al
most impossible. The revolutionisfs
have, moreover been obliged to con-
struct bridges, and that without ade-
quate tools or engineers. In a word.
in spite of the towns which they occ,1-
|py, and the thousands Of men whom
they have under arms, they are SO scat
tered that If not a negligible quantity
they are very difficult to get at The
reyolutionists We're dangerous before
the government went out to attack
them, but now their ability TO attack
the government has become prob
lematical. 1t is no longer a local war
which they will be constrained To
carry on but an invasion This does
not mean that the revolution will.
lose nor is this even suggested.
but General Castro is now in q
position to defend himself. He will
nevertheless have much to do to
emerge from the struggle victorious
because the revolutionists. in addition
to Mato's army, have about 3. 900 men
at Alta Gracia, under the orders of
Domingo Monagas, Rolando and Pen
a1ozo.
Generals Luciano Mendoza. Riena
and Solagni are near Barquisimeto and
Duaca. The environs of Valencia are
overrun with revolutionists; Losteoues
is also in their power, and 1,4OO are
lodged in the mountains between Cara
cas- and Laguaira. Nevertheless the
government lives, commands, makes
itself obeyed and is feared, which
proves that it is not vet crushed.
From financial point of view. Pres
ident Castro has regained his lost pres
tige through the arrival of the million
bolivars in silver brought to him by
the steamer Philadelphia This sum
has enabled him to face certain press
ing engagements and to prove q his
adversaries that he has found in the
coming of silver, even with so per cent
profit. certain legal resources which
will avoid the necessity Of having re-
course to forced loans.