The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1905-03-31
CASTRO
DEf.iES
UNCLE SAM.
RELATIONS WITH VENEZUELA
AT THE SWAPPING POINT.
RELATIONS WITH VENEZUELA
AT THE SWAPPING POINT.

WASHINGTON> March 25.-Goy.
eminent officials believe, as matters
now stand, Presl tent Castro mas the
upper hand in t-o dispute with the
United States. ~ a decision OF The
Hague Tribunal y, 1903 the percent.
age of customs receipts at certain
ports are rendelsl safe from attack
by being protectt from several Euro
pean powers PSJ dent Castro has
diverted imports other ports which,
Il is believed, he Rypects to protect in
4 similar manuE- by an agreement
with England. t'ance and Germany
Thus most of tns 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.
WILLEMSTADT, Curacao, March
2j--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
Iarge guns recently bought in France
lsed for target practice The two big
'annons just mcGnt5d in Laguayra
were fired for two hours in the direc.
ion of Cano Bllnco and the concus-
sion was so severe that bottles in
nearly all the dug stores OF the city
fell from the shelves and were brok.
en-.
WASHINGTON March 25.-How to
leal with Castro the iack-in.the-box
dictator of Venezuela, VINO has bobbed
up again is erlous problem with
he American s'vernment and also
with the governments of France and
italy 1t is a much more serious con.
lndrum at WaA Ygton than it is at
Paris and homG, because the foreign
governments have a free hand to do
rs they please, while the administra,
| ton mere is compelled to ask the per.
| mission of one or both houses Of con
gress before it can do anything be-
yond putting up a bluff.
France and Italy, who are eager to
| protect the rights of their citizens In
Venezleua, ruthlessly assailed by this
freebooter dictator, have intimateC
that they would like the United States
government to represent them in ad
ministering some sort of discipline t
| the jack-in.the-bo But Presiden
| Roosevelt is not likely to accept thii
responsibility, because he is mucl
puzzled to know wat to do to protec
the interests Of our own citizens lie
alone taking up the cudgel for othe
governments.
The President is greatly hampere
| by the restrictions seemingly place
upon him by the congress during tn
recent session as well as by the col
sttution of the United States. Fo
example he cannot seize a Venezuela
custom house, even as trustee or
agreement WITH the Venezuelan go,
ernment if SUCH an arrangement wer
possible without the assent Of tn
senate. To sei4e a custom house b
. force would be tentamount to maxim
f war, and the President may not mai
war without the authorization OF co
gress.
4 The President can send war ships
/. Venezuelan waters, but what are the
o to do after tney get there? To esta
a ish a blockade by force Is to nal
# war TO land marines to restore Il
Y asphalt company's property to
r rightful owners, the American stoC
!. holders, is to make war. To sci
&. Venezuelan territory or property
reprisal is to make war. So If ca
- tro has mis- nerve with him, If he l
~ derstands the peculiarities of [
&. American administrative system, IL
al simply stands pat and refuses to E
,s scared when Mr.. Roosevelt's war shi
u. arrive off his coast and parade up a
m down in all their formidable array
m frowning guns and steam launch
se loaded to the gunwales with sas
marines, he is master of the sit,
~ tion. The President may put up
.c- bluff If Castro calls it he wins.
nt Stripping the affair of all diplom
q ic lingo, this is wnat occurred:
il. trumped-up charges Castro order
nd his courts to eontiscate the valua
in property of American citizens. I
,al courts complied Castro himself
on now in possession of the property {
nd is marketing its output of asphalt
this country. 1t is a plain case of I
an. berry And Castro's attitude seems
"a, say to the United States: Nv
rs what are you going to do about
an Castro has evidently been read
a about the dispute between the Pr
rle dent and the senate and the fail
es of the Santo Domingo treaty.
me Castro has been playing sim
va. tricks on France and Italy. On
md trumped-up charges of aiding
re. abetting rebellion he has seized a
I'm. BILE belonging to a French comp
lily. and valuable mines belonging to
ins iana On account of the great
EN- the United States has made in
past over the Monroe doctrine