The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-07
THE BIG STICK
IS HELD MENACrNGLY OVER vEN-
 EZUELA.
President Roosevelt Takes Action to Bring on an Early Crisis in Affairs-Thrests Next
 in Order.

President Roosevelt has taken action to bring on an early crisis in Ameri- can differences with Venezuela He has directed Attorney General Moody to review the seizure on July 20, 1904. of the properties of the New York and Bermudez Asphalt Company by Venezuelan court receiver. Upon the Attorney Generals opinion will turn the Presidents policy.
 The complaint of the asphalt com- pany Is that the seizure was violently accomulished with the Naid of Vene- zuelan gunboats and soldiers by the receiver, Howard Garner, formerly an employe of the company, but now its hitter enemy: that President Castro exercises such influence on the courts that no appeal can meet with justice: that the company's agents in search of evidence to support the appeal are arrested. expelled and prevented from obtaining attested facts with which to fight the ex parte statement upon which the Venezuelan government brought about a rece1vership
 The State Department has already made representations to Presid snt Castro. with unsatisfactory results. Ordinarily the United States would not interfere until the appeal had been dis posed of in the Supreme Court of Venezuela.
 Wants the Facts.
 The Presidents purpose is to learn if the facts show that there is persis- tent denial of justice in Venezuela. He wants to know if the courts stand for nothing more than creatures of Presi- dent Castro. He also wants to know if President Castro's policy of fre- quently merging. abolishing and cre- ating courts. thus changing their mem bership, operate to the success of any cherished desire of the Venezuelan government and to the failure of the rights of any foreign interest stand ing in the way The reports constant ly received here have convinced the State Department of this
 With an opinion from the Attorney General that Venezuelan justice Is lit- tie more than gradual confiscation of the rich Bermudez Lake. President Roosevelt expects to be in a position to command popular approval at home and abroad in proceeding to handle President Castro without gloves.
 This unpleasant but necessary oper- ation will begin with emphatic notice. through Mir. Bowen. the American Minister, tsat there has been an ob- flOuS uCuldl OI JuSIlCC lO tnc dSpualt company, and that unless its rights are respected the United States will exert its efforts to protect those rights. May See warships.
 This means that unless President Castro yields there will be American warships Tn La Guayra harbor. The North Atlantic battleship squadron | will sail southward from the Virginia Capes on January for winter man. | oeuvres in the CCa'ribean- in conjunc- | tion with the South Atlantic and Euro pean squadrons.
 Although President Castro Is report ed to have mounted some Dsavy guns commanding La Guayra he has d healthy respect for force greater than he can muster. The diplomatic repre- | sentations made to him by the Amer ican legation at Caracas during recent months have been so vigorous that little margin Is left in diplomacy but | to threaten. Threats are regarded here as good only if backed up by ships and guns.
 There has been no American war ship at La Guayra since the end of the | blockade of Venezuela by the allied powers. in 1903. The presence of one or two cruisers when Minister Bowen is diligently pointing out to Castro that his salvation Is to respect foreign | interests and cease his despotic direc- tton of anarchy is expected to prove of | great assistance to peaceable settle ment of pending trouble.
 An early crisis in the Venezuelan situation is considered advisable to save possible trouble over the Monroe Doctrine. Not only the rights of Amer | jean citizens, but those of subjects of European governments have been vio- lated. England. France and Italy are keen for reprisals. but hesitate for fear of treading on the Monroe Doc Urine and in hope that the United | States will act the policeman in the Western Hemisphere. preserving such order and decency that European gov ernments will not need to send fleets across the seas.
 | Regarded as Significant. | President Roosevelt's submission of the asphalt company's case to Attor- ney General Moody Is highly slgnifi- cant in view of his unusual practice before taking a radical departure in policy of obtaining the opinion of a recognized authority wherewith to forestall criticism.
 1 The American legation at Caracas has reported to the State Department l that Venezuela is obdurate In refusing D reconsider the order by which A :. 1 F. Jaurett. an American citizen, edi- tor of a Venezuelan paper, was ex-