The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-20
CGSTROLOOKING FOR TROUBLE
AND rs LIKELY TO HAYE n WITH
FRANCE AND ITALY.

Preach Cahle Company and ORDERS Vho
seizure u en- Italian COmpany's Coal
Mines-This Government May step m
wAsHrNoroN, March is.-There Are many
indications that the Government OF Vene-
ziela will soon again become involved In
international complications which may
cause embarrassment 10 the United States
and produce a repetition Of the critical
situation that prevailed two years ago.
when British, German and italian war
ships blockaded Vene zuelan ports and
went to the extreme Of bombardinE one
Of them. President Castro V apparently
getting ready 10 break loose again. and
the Administration IN Washington finds
plenty to Worry II in the knowledge OF some
Of the things he has done and Intends TO do
News came to the State Department to-
night from Herbert w Bowen, the United
States Minister at Caracas, that the French
Minister there had addressed q oommuni-
cation TO the Vene zUelan Government con-
corning President Castro's attempt to have
the concession Of the French cable com
pany annulled. No details Of the com
munication have been disclosed. Right on
top Of this comes the information that
under Castro's orders the coal mines at
Guanta, Venezuela, which arc controlled
by an Italian company, had been seized
by Vene zuelan troops, A protest has been
made by the Italian Legation at Caraoas
and the relations betty Venezuela and
Italy, which have been far from cordial,
are more strained than before.
The difficulties in which the Venezuelan
Government has become involved with
France and Italy are augmented by Castro's
row with the United States over the con-
fscation Of the asphalt properties owned
by the New York and Bermudez Company.
Minister Bowen, who arranged the Proto-
coils for the settlement Of the claims OF
Venezuela's creditors and thus caused
England, Germany and Italy 20 abandon
their blockade Of Venezuelan ports, II now
persona non grata TO Castro, whose recent
attitude toward this Government has been
exceedingly unfriendly and even defiant.
The interview from Venezuela In which
Castro was quoted as saying that he could
send 5000 men to New Orleans and capture
that city ia not doubted here, where there
is a pretty complete know ledge OF the
mans characteristics Whether or not
Castro Il the irresponsible f1e eater he
has been represented, the TACT remains
that he Is so regarded by the Washington
Administ ration which believes that before
long Il may be obliged to resort to radical
measures 20 settle long standing score.
Tn news tnat Castro has order ed suit
10 be filed for the revocation Of the French
Gable Company's concession reached this
country only a few days ago, but people
here friendly 10 the present Venezuelan
Administration say that the suit was actually
begun in November 1903 and has just been
reached on the docket Of the Venezuelan
court before which IL Is pending The
suit is based on the contention that the
Rrh Fni n "a a
tract 10 lay a submarine cable from Port
au- Prince HAyti, TO la Guayra, Venezuela.
According TO information received here
from Venezuelan sources the company
erected an overland telegraph line through
Hayti, Santo Domingo and part OF Nene-
ZueR which was frequently cut by revo-
lutiOnists, thus causing great inconvenience
that would have been obviated had the sub
marine cable been laid. Under the terms
Of the concession all disputes arising out
OF Il we're TO be adjusted in the Venezuelan
courts and were not TO become incidents
OF en- international character. The com
munication addressed by the French Min
lister at Caracas to the Venezuelan Govern
ment lie believed to be a protest. and st is
evident that France intends to vigorously
resist CastTo's move.
Tho coal mines which Castro II reported
to have seized are situated about sixteen
miles from the port OF Guanta, with which
plaoo they are connected by railroad.
they passed into the hands Of Scotch capital
lists, who sold them TO the Venezuelan
In 1893 they were leased
TO the Lamont Martini Company OF Italy.
The venture has not been success under
the Italian Management mainly on &C,
the vicinity Of the mines. RevolutioniSts
seized the italian company's stores and
PLAYED havoc generally with It's property.
Government troops were sent there three
years ago, and for some unknown reason
fired on the Italian miners, who fed and
refused 70 return. When the claims OF
foreign governments were being adjusted
at Caracas under the protocols negotiated
in Washington by Minister Bowen tho
Italian Government presented a bill Tor
nearly 81 900 .OOO against Venezuela in behalf
Of the Ianzoni-M Martini company, but the
umpire awarded only $SS 900.
The seizure OF the coal mines is regarded
as much more serious than the attempt Of
Castro TO have the French Gable Company's
concession revoked for the reason that the
without authority Of the courts. II is
asserted, however, In a quarter friendly TO
Castro, that suit was entered more than a
year ago and that the seizure was undoubt-
eddy ordered by the court before which the
case was tried
Attorney General Moody recently rem
dered an opinion as 70 whether there had
been a denial OF justice in the confscation
Of the asphalt lakes which had been worked
by the New York and Bermudez Company.
That opinion was never made public, and
the prevailing opinion In Washington,
outside Of the small immediate circle ao-
auainted with the Attorney Generals views,
has been that the Administration would
delay taking any action In the asphalt
matter while the Dominican situation re-
NAMED unsettled. With the Dominican
treaty out Of the way for many months,
however, through the failure Of the Senate
70 take action upon II, there Ia reason TO
believe that the State Department will nov
turn its attention TO Venezuela.
President Castro's attitude toward this
Government, which helped him out Of
peck Of trouble a few years ago, n regarded
as the rankest ingratitude and there is
a very strong sentiment among officials In
favor OF teaching him lesson in interna-
tional manners which he will not soon
forget His relations with nearly every
member Of the Diplomatic Corps at Caracas
are strained, and at one time recently he
broke of NEGOTIATIONS with Minister Bowen
In regard TO a settlement OF the asphalt
controversy by leaving his capital and going
10 a place IN the country.
II was the intention OF the President 20
appoint Irving ". Dudley OF California,
the present Minister TO Peru, a. Minister
Bowen's successor az Caracas, but this pur-
pose has not been carried out for the reason
That the raCall ~ M Rowan wotfld doubt