The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-02-05
LOOMS ON VENEZUELA
Ex-Minister Predicts a Bright
Future For Castro's Country.
REMARKABLE STORES OF GOLD.


the IIines-Constructio OF Foreign
Railways, He Says, Was RespOn-
aibge For the Present Trouble.
Hon. Francis B. LOOMS, United States
minister to Portugal, left Springfield,
O., few days ago for New York to sail
for his post. 1t will be remembered that
as ex-minister to Venezuela Mr.. Loo
mis- was virtually forced to leave the
country as the result Of friction with
President Castro and today he is one
of the best informed men on Venezuela.
He said to correspondent of the Phil
adelphia Press:
1.-THE foreign railway systems in Ven
ezuela are largely responsible for the
present trouble in that country. Indeed
they can be said to be the primary
causes Of the matter. An inability on
the part of the Venezuelan government
to meet her obligations to German and
English capitalists who had invested
many millions Of dollars in railroads
and the work of the revolutionists, who
= greatly damaged these lines and in
many cases wholly prevented traffic,
added crisis to crisis until the present
trouble came as natural climax, bring
ing war upon the government.
GA few years ago party of German
capitalists, backed by their government,
invested the sum of $12,000,000 in the
T
Guayra, the principal seaport Of Ven
ezuela, and Caracas, its capital. Be
tween the two cities is lofty spur OF
the Andes, extending down directly in
to the sea and forming formidable
barrier to travel Of any description be-
tween the places. The labor expended
on the road was enormous, and when
finally the last rail was laid at Caracas
one of the most difficult feats of engi-
neering in the history of South America
had been accomplished. The VeneZue-
Ian government had made an agree
ment with Germany that the bonds Of
the company should bear at least Z per
cent interest, but after two years, see
ing that this undertaking was more
entered into another contract which re-
duced the Z per cent interest to 3.
''At this period revolutions were more
than usually frequent in Venezuela.
The insurgents had no respect for the
new road or consideration for the peck
etbooEs of it's builders. Rail after rail
-sVas torn up, trains wrecked and traffic
In some instances. the lives of the
workmen and passengers on the road
were even endangered. The Venezue-
ian government was unable to pay the
5 per cent interest on the bonds.
Germany was not the only country
to tackle the Venezuelan railroad prop.
Osition. England also had eyes on the
country and erected an expensive road
leading from Puerto Cabello into the
eastern section of the country. Much
the same proposition was made in this
case as with Germany, and the result
was that when half dozen revolutions
had passed over that section the gov
eminent realized that it had a debt
amounting to many millions on it's
Of the country it was impossible to liz
uidate this, and so the foundation Of
the present trouble was laid.
'In regard to Italy's claim in the
Venezuelan affair I am not so well In
formed l do not know that numbers
Of Italians and Spaniards were mas
sacred during the revolutions which
10
gents never pretended to distinguish
between a mans nationality, his color
or his general appearance. If he was
so unfortunate as to get in their road,
his body was generally tossed behind
a convenient bush or more often al
, lowed to lay where it had fallen"
Speaking of the resources of the land,
Mr.. Loomis said: "Gold mines that
have brought in over $40,000,00O in less
than twenty years, one Of the most fer
tile tracts of land in the world, excel
lent commercial and geographical adj
vantages and, in fact, opportunities
and resources such as few countries
enjoy have put the little republic OF
Venezuela in a position where few
wears Oh peace NOuiu dSS III Z ICl q
most promising future. What the
country needs more than anything else
is immigration. and, Of course, this is
impossible in the present condition of
affairs. If the y4st five years had not
been SO crowded with revolutions,
believe that today the country would
be among the leading gold producing
sections of the world.
zone popularity about the mines Of
that country is that their output is liter
ally endless The ancient MontezUmas
and Intecs had a Klondike compared
with which the Alaskan goldfelds of
Today would sink into insiguifcance.
The dazzling stories told of early Next
co and South America by the Spanish
conquerors are believed by many to be
exaggerated, but |. who know of the
country from personal observation, be
lieve that the tales of the treasure con
cealed in the rugged Andes contain
much of truth The field MS yet has
been but poorly developed. let Amerl-