Evening star., 1902-01-27
VENEZUELA AND COLOMBIA
Ex-MINIsTER sCRUGGs TALKS ON
THE PRESENT WAR.
Different From the Ordinary south
American Revolation-Grows Out
of q Contract.


said Mr.. William L. Scruggs. former minis
had met him at the Riggs House, presents
many novel features that are puzzling
to the average citizen OF the United
States. A revolution Is going on In both
countries, and, in addition to these dis
turbances, the two governments are practi-
cally at war with each other, though no
formal declaration Of war has yet been
made by either The term revolution Is
often misleading. In the majority Of cases
the word sedition or insurrection would
more accurately describe the situation 1t
Is not an uprising by the masses against
some form OF absolutism, but rather vfo-
lent quarrel between professional politt-
clans for the control Of the offlces. A revo-
luton. as We understand that term, usually
begins with the masses and works upward;
whereas South American revolution al
most invariably begins at the top and
works downward. It begins among the Of
fee seekers and reaches down to the
masses, who, though seldom interested In
such quarrels, are the real sufferers, no
matter what may be the issue of the strug-
gie.'
This Contest an Exception.
'Is this contest an exception to the ruler
he was asked.
"Yes," said Mr.. Scruggs, "the present
trouble In Venezuela and Colombia may be
said to constitute an exception to the gen.
eral rule. The revolutions In both coun-
tries remotely involve something like a
principle. In each republic there have been
two opposing political parties since 1850
the conservative and the liberal The
first. sometimes known as the church par
ty,' stands for union of church and state,
and for restricted suffrage; the second fer
complete separation of church and state. a
Of fv,ot INxvfy
ment, and for frequent elections for all
offices by universal suffrage.
The Colombian government has been
practically under the control OF the con-
servatives since 1887; the Venezuelan gov
ernment has been nominafiy liberal since
1871 So that in the present crisis the CO.
Iombfan revolutionists are in sympathy
with the Venezuelan government and the
venezuelan administration in sympathy
with the Colombian 'revolutfonists.'
Il know comparatively little of Castro,
the present dictator-president of Venezuela.
He Is new man who has come into public
notice since left there, a few years ago.
Matos, his antagonist, is q banker and
man of wide and varied experience. He
has been minister Of finance many times,
and as f1nancier has few equals in Span
ISM America. He has never been what may
be termed an active politician although he
has held many places Of important trust at
various times since 1872 and enjoys the
esteem and confidence Of the best people of
all shades OF political opinion. He is q
brother-in-law Of the late Gusman Blanca.
and a man Of fortune.
Grows Out of o Contract.
Perhaps the real gist Of the present con-
troversy between Venezuela and Germany
grows out Of a contract, and therefore
properly referable to court Of arbitration
Some years ago some German capitalists
obtained from the government concession
to build and operate a narrow-gauge rail-
road between Caracas and Valencia. By
the terms Of the agreement Venezuela was
to guarantee per cent on the capital ac-
tually invested. not to exceed, however,
100000 per mile of the road. It Is claimed
that the road cost something over s1Oo. 900
per mile; and that, SO far from paying a
dividend of per cent, 1t has barely paid
running expenses. Hence the demand by
the German government, In behalf of it's
subjects, for the unpaid dues of per cent
per mile, With accrued interest, amounting
to an enormous sum of money.
THE Monroe doctrine thus far does not
figure In the German-VeneZuelan dispute
at ALL There Is nothing in that doctrine to
prevent European nation from resorting
to legitimate methods for the enforcement
Of legitimate obligation against any South
American republic. Germany is understood
as having dtsclaimed any purpose to seize
and permanently hold any Venezuelan ter
ritory in satisfaction for debt or as in
demnity for torts; and so long as she re-
frains from such measures there will be no
cause for, or justification Of, Intervention
by the United States. International re-
sponsibility is always the concomitant of
national independence; and If Venezuela is
hoping for interposition in behalf of her
strained construction Of the Monroe doc
trine she Is acting very short sightedly
But, as / said before it seems to me
that the present controversy Is very prop
erly referabie to friendly arbitration. and
it is to be hoped that it may yet take that
turn"