The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-12-18
TO ARMS! CASTRO CALLS.
VenezueIans, Wrought to Fighting
Pitch, are shouIdering Their Mau.
sers to RepeI Invaders.

President Castro, of Venezuela,
seems determined to resist the inva-
sion of his domain by force Of arms,
and war may be said to be already
on, judging from dispatches received
Thursday from La Guayra.
The government has sent 1000 men
and eighteen guns from Caracas to re-
inforce the garrison at La Guayra.
These troops went into camp at Guar
acuti, distant one hour from La Quay
ra. All of Thursday and Thursday
night ammunition was being carried to
Fort La Vigia, which crowns the har-
Dor, and preparations are being made
to resist the foreign forces. Volun-
teers to the number of 926 men, all
from La Guayra, have been armed,
and more are requesting arms. 1t IS
asserted that the government has suffl-
cient men to resist the foreign forces,
as the movement is peculiar. Every
where one meets one of ali classes and
conditions carrying mauser rifles.
The highly sensational news OF the
capture at Port of Spain of the Venez-
uelan gunboat Bolivar by the British
cruiser Charybdis was communicated
to President Castro by representa-
tive Of the Associated Press. The
event created intense excitement.
Cause of the Row.
Venezuela has been seeking to avoid
payment of British and German claims
for long time, and only recently did
the British and German governments
decide to enforce the collection OF
these claims. No schedule of these
claims against Venezuela has ever
been published, but it is known that
the total is nearly s20,S00.000. OF the
two nations, Germany is the larger
creditor, about s15,C00,O0O of the $780,
100000 being due German subjects.
The claims consist first of unpaid
interest on the s10,000,000 loan of 1895,
which was taken up by the Germans
in greater part, and the rest by Brit
ish and French capitalists. This is said
to amount to about s2,500,00O. Then
come claims for merchandise delivered
by German traders to the venezuelan
government and never paid for.
Lastly, and these, though indefinite
in character and undoubtedly greatly
swelled, comprising the majority OF the
total, are the claims for the property
of German subjects destroyed in the
various revolutions in the past ten
years or more, and the concessions lost
in the same manner, or of which the
holders were deprived arbitrarily by
Castro altogether.
Some s5O,0G0,0G0 of German capital
is invested in Venezuela and the pres
ent movement is intended for the fu-
ture security of this as much as Tor
the squaring up Of old accounts. The
claims Of Great Britain are similar IN
character. BY his insolence toward
the United States as well as toward
the two other countries now at issue
with him, Castro has entirely alienated
our state department. Solemn assur-
ances have been given several times
over, by both Great Britain and Ger
many chat they were not seeking to
acquire any territory in their forceful
collection of debts. Hence, this coun-
try will maintain position of friendly
neutrality. Our present admlnlstra-
ti4n is distinctly .warlike in its charac'
ter, however, and it will doubtless call
down quickly and forcibly any one OF
the involved nations which overstep
the limits imposed under the Monroe
doctrine