The St. Louis Republic., 1902-12-21
Former South American Consul
Says There Is Little General
knowledge of Republic.
A C0HGRESSMAN'S IGNORANCE.
Requested the Speaker to Inform
Him Where the Country Is Stu
ated-Some Amusing Re
quests for Information.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Washington Dec. 20-"ro a certain extent
Venezuela is terra incognita to the people
OIL the United States,' said Simon Stras-
burger of Rochester, n. Y, who for some
years was United States Consul to one of
the South American ports.
No later than 1892 Western member of
Congress rose in his seat when matters
diplomatic relating to the country were
under discussion and exclaimed:
Mr.. Speaker. where is Venezuela, any
how?'
The same year a st. Louis merchant
wrote to the United States Minister at
caracas to find out the most available
venezuelan seaport on the Pacifia. A Col
orado cattle dealer was anxious to know of
the Minister whether, in order 10 visit
Maracaibo. it would be necessary to sail
via Europe
caracas may justly be called the Little
Paris of Venezuela. and is the literary
center of the Republic as we'll az the cap
ital or the nation. Caracas is delightfully."-
sltuateq 1t nestles in the lap OF the charm
ing ana romantic Chacao valley, a deep
pasln IN the eastern Corderilla of the Andes.
niiis surrounds the valley, 1ringed with ccc-
lee estates and sugar plantations. Bisect-
ing the valley is the Guira, fed by streams
OF pure mountain water.
The climate is mild and equable At the ex-
IRENE west of a valley is the modern village
9t ra5! Antemiro IN which is known as the Little
country place If Tresiden. Castro 1t was
nered .ni MaSams sP nat President Castro
present storm shall have supslIed.
Inc narrow gauge street railroad which
connects the capital with Antcnino enters
largely into the present contentious between
Germany and Venezuela. The road is !.
German enterprise. ard, ever since it's con,-
pietion. has been tha source OF acrimoniOus
diplomatic disputes and international un-
peasantness.
1t appears that when German capitalists
agreed to build the road The Venezuelan
Government contracted on its part 20 guar
antee ! per cent annually en- the capital
INFESTED to build and equip the road, provid-
ed ed only only that the cost should not he over
slVo,oU per mile and its net earnings SHOULD
not 1all short of PEI cent investment.
STREET RAILWAY CONTENTION.
=, Now. it appears. the stockholders claim
mat the road cost more than 100000 per
mile. In short. the German capitalists put
into practice the motto of David Ha1um,
Do unto others what Others would do unto
you. and do it fust.' Naturally the German
capitalists have from time to time petitioned
their Government to enforce their demands,
and the latter has interposed on several oc-
casions. even going so far as to threaten to
seize the customs of the country.
After several serious diplomatic ruptures
Germany has taken the bull literally by the
horns and, in conjunction with Great Bri-
tain. has gone almost to the limit to make
the Venezuelan Government settle Ac-
cording to my way of thinking. the Gov
ernment OF Venezuela Is like man who
has run in debt beyond his means for nee
cessities and luxuries, but the day of pay
ment having arrived he has not the ready
money to meet his liabilities.
, Bogota is a very ancient town. Founded
In 1888 by Gonzalo Jlminez de Quesada.
Charles Y chartered it a city by royal de-
cree. It has mint, public market, a ma
tional library of 1900 volumes. a museum
tional university and thirty three churches.
one of which Is of the Presbyterian faith.
The town also has three beautiful parks
and is abundantly supplied with pure noun
tain water. A system of tramways connect
the. city with suburban points. The popu-
lation is not far from 10000. The town is
very We cSSmpactlSy built The great central
nounced bo-lee-var} in honor of the great
liberator.
HARRISON FIRST MINISTER.
at may not be generally reoollected that
as early as 1927 General William Henry
Harrison was Minister to the Republic and
that the American Legation was located at
Bogota. General Harrison had hardly time
to become accustomed to his duties before
But Harrison eventually had his revenge
for, thirteen years later. he was himself
elected President. The One-story house in
which he once lived while Minister is still
pointed out to sightseers. Baron Aiexander
Won Humboldt resided for upward of eight
months in Bogota- 1t was while a resident
Of the city that he wrote portions Of his
''In most other parts of the world, revo-
lutions originate with the masses They
work from the bottom upward. In the
top and work downward. In South America
change of administration only means
redistribution of the offices. Wise foreigners
in South America will hold their tongues in
tude of strict neutrality, whatever may be
their views"