The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-08
CARACAS BREWING
ANOTHER SCANDAL
Judge caIhoun's vIsi. to Venezuela
May Lead President Castro to
Show His Hand.

ChNSdctdg Au6uo o.
The feeling in official circles as to
Judge Calhoun's mission to venezue-
la has been modified during the last
few days. as 1t Is now believed he is
coming to investigate and not to in.
t%erfere. II that is his mission he
viii be aided considerably from va
rious sources. and perhaps even the
government will give him information
which will change the aspect of mat.
tiers and render his prolonged stay
unnecessary.
1t Is declared that President Gas.
ira holds some cards which he has
not played yet and that there will be
CONSERVATION among some powerful
interests in the United States when he
does play them. There is a scandal
brewing, and when 1t breaks 1t will
make other scandals which have had
their source in Caracas seem tame.
On the receipt by the government
OF the news of Judge Calhoun's ap-
pointment to a special mission to
Venezuela President Castro took the
lrmest possible stand. The govern
ment newspaper echoed the official
policy toward the appointee in an edi.
torial which rldiculed the idea of
there being any American claims to
adjudicate, with the possible excep.
ton of the asphalt case, which is still
In the courts. I'M therefore not yet
open to discussion.
Criticised BY Government.
AT just this time the American
Charge d'Affaires presented to the
Minister Of Foreign Affairs a copy of
the protest from the United States
government to the German Ambassa.
dor at Washington against the new
debt arrangement between Venezuela
and the British and German bond
holders. This was adversely CRITICS.
ed in government circles, coming, as it
did, after the financial contract had
been accepted by Congress. and the
government made the immediate move
OF paying half a million dollars, cor.
responding to the first half year, plac.
ing that amount to the order Of the
British and German legations.
h Importance of the payment just
at this time is evident, as it is the
contamination of years of negotia.
ton on the part of General Castro
and of General Velutini. his financial
agent in Europe. The official press
said:
Nobody will have any right. from
today on, to interfere in our internal
affairs, because the fulflment of every
financial obligation by the govern.
ment has gone hand in hand with a
severe and serene independence in
the orbit of our courts"
Following this the paper published
Mr.. Bowen's statement to the press
as 1t appeared in the New York Her.
aid of June %. AS President Castro
dislikes Mr.. Loomis even more than
he disliked Mr.. Bowen, this was done
partially to Offset the effect of Presi.
dent Roosevelt's letter to Secretary
Taft, Diminishing Mr.. Bowen from the
service, but principally to bring out
this statement made by Secretary
Hay to Mr.. Bowen in his communi.
cation of January 10:
The President approves the ac.
ceptance Of 5000, 900 bolivars annu.
ally. to be paid to all the creditor
Powers from customs pro.
vided said Powers assent. The Presi.
dent could not interfere in any way
In relation to German and British
bondholders. that being a question in
which the government is not concern.
ed.
Castro's Firm Attitude.
Following the publication of the
Bowen letter there was an editorial
which dwelt on these words of Sec-|
rotary Hay and declared that, in view
OF them, any obligation by the Uni.
ted States to President Castro's
financial arrangement with Venezue-
las creditors in Europe would be a
contradiction by President Roosevelt.
General Castro has answered the
American government in the strong.
est III of a note, based on the lines
indicated. Directing strenuously to
Judge Calhoun's coming, II it is to in.
terfere in any Of Venezuela's affairs,
n declaring that Venezuela has a
perfect right to pay the debt it owed
in Europe, and in the way it sees fit.
President Castro's friends say his
answer is full Of international doc
trine and public law and that its en-
ergy and culture will give 1t a great
Importance in the actual cireum.
Stances.