Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-03-27
CASTRO IS
PERPLEX|NC
PROBLEM


ernment officials believe. as matters
now stand, President Castro mas the
upper hand in the dispute with the
United States. BY a decision of The
Hague Tribunal in 1908 the percent
age of customs receipts at certain
ports are rendered safe from alta, A
by being protected from several Euro
pean powers. President Castro has
diverted imports TO other ports which.
1t is believed. he expects TO protect In
similar manner by an agreement
with England, France and German,
Thus most Of the powers are tied up
without getting any material benefits.
while the United States has no re
sources. There We're no new develop
ments this morning in the situation
WlLLEMSTADT. Curacao, March
25-President Castro is still living
near Maracay, where, it.. is said. he
gives large dances every night. He
has just given orders to have all the
large guns recently bought in France
used for target practice. The two big
cannons just mounted in Laguayra
were fired for two hours in the direc-
tion of Cano Blanco and the concus-
sion was so severe that bottles In
nearly all the drug stores of the city
fell from tne shelves and were brok.
en-.
WASHINGTON. March 25.-How. 10
deal with Castro, the jack-in-the-box
dictator of Venezuela, VINO has bobbed
mp again is a serious problem with
the American government and also
with the governments of France and
italy. II is much more serious con
undrum al Washington than It is at
Paris and Rome, because the foreign
governments have free hand to do
as they please, while the administra-
tion here is compelled TO ask the per
mission of one or both houses of con
gress before it can do anything be
yG"d putting up a bluff
France and Italy. who are eager to
protect the rights of their citizens in
Nenezleua, ruthlessly assailed by this
freebooter dictator. have intimated
that they would like the United States
government to represent them in ad-
ministering some sort of discipline to
the jack-in-the-box. But President
Roosevelt is not likely TO accept this
responsibility, because he is much
puzzled to know wnat TO do to protect
the interests of our own citizens let
alone taking up the cudgel for other
governments.
IG L,,
by the restrictions seemingly placed
upon him by the congress during the
recent session as well as by the con
stitntion of the United States For
example he cannot seize a Venezuelan
custom house. even as trustee or by
agreement with the Venezuelan gov
eminent If such an arrangement were
possible without the assent of the
senate. To seize custom house by
force would be tentamount to making
war and the President may not make
war without the authorization of con
gress.
The President can send war ships to
Venezuelan waters, but what are they
TO do after they get there? To estab-
lish blockade by force is to make
war. 10 land marines to restore the
asphalt company's property to its
rightful owners, the American stock
holders, is TO make war To seize
Venezuelan territory or property in
reprisal is to make war. So II Gas
tro has mis- nerve with him, If he un-
derstands the peculiarities OF the
American administrative system, If ne
simply stands pat and refuses to get
scared when Mr.. Roosevelt's war ships
arrive of his coast and parade up and
down in all their formidable array OF
frowning guns and steam launches.
loaded to the gunwales with sassy
marines, he is master of the situa-
tion. The President may put up a
blun If Castro calls 1t he wins.
Stripping The affair of all diplomat
ic lingo this is wnat occurred: On
trumped-up charges Castro ordered
his courts 10 confscate the valuable
property of American citizens. The
courts complied. Castro himself is
now in possession of the property and
is marketing It's output of asphalt in
This country 1t is a'plain case of rob
berry. And Castro's attitude seems to
say to tine United States: We'll
what are you going to do about it?'
Castro has evidently been reading
about the dispute between the Presi
dent and the senate and the failure
OF the Santo Domingo treaty.
Castro has been playing similar
tricks on France and Italy. On like
trumped-up charges OF aiding and
abetting rebellion he has seized a ca
bic belonging to a French company
and valuable mines belonging TO Ital
iana On account of the great ado
the United States has made in the
past over the Monroe doctrine the
French and Italian governments have
politely minated they would like tt
have Uncle Sam represent them II
settling this little affair with th'
South American bad boy, whom the,