Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-12-18

a squad of soldiers until the vesse
sailed
There was pretty little romance
mixed up in the episode Guzmar
had 2 favorite nephew. who was tho
| comi..A. ar.n-cA.oi OF his aIn, nd
in training to succeed him as pres
ident. The nephew was engaged to
marry Mr.. Russell's daughter. and
when he heard of how his prospec live
fathsr-in-law had been treated he
went to the palace to demonstrate
Guzman told the bold lover that he
could choose between his Yankee
sweetheart and the destiny that await.
ed him in Venezuela. Tho young man
broke his sword over his knee. threw
the two fragments at his uncle's head
and dashed out of the fpalace. col
leCted few of his cronies, got a long
| rope, pulled down several statues
Guzman Blanco had erected in his
own hcnor, then mounted his horse.
| rode over the Indian trail to La
Guira and joined Mr.. Russells family
on the steamer few moments before
it sailed Upon their arrival at Bos-
/ lbll lll' 'OuDlt were anu lDt
aX-general of the Venezuelan army
went into the chocolate business.
| The government was somewhat an
noyed by the moral turnitude of Ven
eaus la not long ago President An
drade sold a monopoly in asphalt
mines 10 the Barber company of New
| York. His successor. Heing short OF
money, sold the same ,thing to the
Quinlan company of Rochester, and
when the latter attempted to take pos
| session the Barber people resisted.
| You will remember that we came near
| having a row about it. but Seer tary
| Hay stood pat" as Hanna would put
| it, and protected the Barber company
until the rights of the case could be
| determined by the courts.
Several columns might be filed
| with similar stories Illustrating the
| business methods of the Venezuelan
government, for they have always
| been the same. and when the German
| and English syndicates went into that
country to b.ild their railroads, the
haibor at La Guira and other public
works, they show the kind of people
they were dealing with, and ought to
have arranged for payment in ad-
vance Hence they have no right to
make a row when they are treated as
every other contractor has been treat
ed before them. The total claims
AMOUNT to about $4,000 900. Some of
them are doubtless exaggerated for
none have ever been adjudicated in
any court or -tnves ~gated by impair
tial judges
In the second place both England
| and Germany know that the govern
N nt of Venezuela is dead broke.
There is no money in the treasury
md there is not likely to be any for
some time, because the country has
bsen wrecked by revolutions for near
Y five years: all the Industries have
suspended; the plantations and coffee
growing have been neglected; the
| arm hands and other laborers have
been impressed into the army; the
| purchasing power of the people is ex-
ha.sted and thsy have nothing to pay
axes with, The war has been carried
on by means of forced loans exacted
by President Castro from wealthy
people, who have preferred to give up
their money rather than their lives.
WASHINGTON. ID. c.. Dec II
| The Venezuelan situation today is
| more critical than at any time since
the trouble began. Secretary Hay
| this morning asked Germany what
| was meant by a peaceful blockade.
| ipI Il,
! 10 blockade, Admiral Dewey has been
instructed to keep his fleet together
and will by the end OF the week force
passage through the German and
English lines for American vessels
an' that may prer'pitate p serious eri
| sis IN, government today Is l-.tC
anxious.
LONDON, Dec. 17.-Balfour today
said that there was no such {
thing as peaceful blockade, and tha
state of war existed in Ven szuel;
and that in few days the power!
would be so informed. The premier
intimated that England's next move
would be open war on the Soutl
American republic.
| WASHINGTON. d. c., Dec. IL
Orders will be sent tomorrow to Ad
miral Dewey to dispatch several bat
tleships now engaged in maneuvsrt
off Culebra to Trinidad, 375 mile
from La Guayra This is in line witt
the program mapped out when the!
little thought that trouble would en-
sue between the United States ant
the powers.
The United States. therefore, viii
not be placed in the attitude OF seem
ing to interfere in the present crisis
but Will have powerful fleet on hant
If necessity to force its use shout
arise. The state department is still
hopeful that Castro's arbitration pre-
posal will be accepted.
BEL GUM. Dec. 1.-THE repor
that Belgium had joined the allianc
of the powers against Venezuela i
officially announced today. Belgium
claims the amount OF ten millio
francs.
WASHINGTON. ID. C., Dec. IL
Minister Bowen notified the state d'
partmcnt today that the Italian mlnii
ter had left Venezuela. and that h
tBowen) had taken charge of Italy
affairs there.
Government ofiit ials today said