Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-17
CASTRO WOULD FIGHT.
Venezuelan President Plans an lnva-
sion of United States.

Willemstad, Island of Curocoa, March
Is d).--According to trust
worthy advices received here the mem-
bers Of the foreign diplomatic corps at
Caracas are chating under the state or
affairs now existing in Venezuela and
some of them are frank in saying that
the present situation cannot be much
further prolonged. 1t is said that none
Of the diplomats has been able to
have an interview with Castro con-
corning disputed international ques-
tions for months. Relations between
President Castro and the various lega-
tions at Caracas are becoming more
strained.
President Castro maintains his bel
ligerent attitude and continues a,make
military preparations. He apparently
regards all attacI on Tsorto Cabello and
Laguaira as probable and has mounted
six new French six-inch guns and
number of small guns on the heights
overlooking these ports and his avail
able three small coast defense vessels.
Castro's attitude is reflected in
pamphlet just assued thru one of his
advisers Col. Juan Bautistia Lamedo,
in which plans for sending 10000 Ven
ezuelans against New Orleans are dis
closed. The pamphlet urges the pub
lie to avenge the insults offered to
Venezuela by the Americans and de-
clares the invasion of the Mississippi
Valley would be the most effective
means of curbing the power of the
United States.
mr., ;rx for
troops, and it is impossible to ascer-
tain how Castro's forces are distrib-
uted or how many soldiers he has.
Practically all his army is made up of
men from the Andes. Most of them
are part Indian. They wear rough
straw hats, coarse khaki uniforms and
sandals. AS they march thru the
streets carrying their d-fashioned
rifles their appearance Is not unlike
that of a Chinese military organiza-
ton. Few white men are in the ranks.
and the negroes and Indians have had
little training. Their weapons are old
fashioned Mausers, which kick so bad
ly that the men do not hold them to
their shoulders when they fire, but let
the rifle butts slide under their arms
and shoot without taking aim.
The artillery is as efficient as the IN
fantry, and foreigners say there is not
a, gunner in the whole Venezuelan
army who knows how to shoot the new
French six-inch guns which Castro has
mounted at La Guaira and Porto Ca
bello. At present there are several
hundred soldiers in Caracas and prob.
ably 100 at La Guaira. Most of the
army is kept on the move in remote
districts where revolutions are threat
ened. Every day rumors of small up
risings in the interior are reported, and
the jails all over the country are, filled
with prisoners charged with political
crimes.
1t is said that the majority of Vene-
zuelans look upon the possibility of
foreign Intervention either with indif-
ference or favorably, as present inter-
nal conditions are causing much unrest
Excessive taxation, heavy expenditures,
the political preferment of incapable
ness conditions arc ing from Cas-
tro much of the be cement in Ven
ezuela.
Neighboring South American re-
publics also seem to regard the idea
of intervention without resentment
Brazilian newspapers are openly ad-
vocating a settlement of affairs in Ven
ezuela and the South American press
generally is less cautic in it's criticisms
of American interference in the affairs
of southern republics.