The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-20

Port of Spain, Trinidad. an An
! dean Indian, devoid of education, should
Jump from the bush TO the Presidency
and make the record ciprfano Castro has
made, is as much of an amazement to
Venezuela as to the great powers he
has treated with arrogance and success
full defiant diplomacy.
| The key TO his power at home is the
abject fear he has instlled into the hearts
of his countrymen; of his escape from
foreign foes, a craftlness of nature and
| strength of will that made wrong seem
| right and bent the very circumstances of
seeming disaster to his purpose Pos
sessed of some military skill he imagines
himself a greater general than Napoleon.
/ He Is quite convinced that no more
/ astute statesman than he exists.
! For six years he has wgged the gov.
ernments of the earth with impunity, de-
| spelling their citizens and driving them
! from the land sounding moral platitudes
the while, always taking advantage of
! the Monroe doctrine or the moment when
| the insulted nation had more weghty
matters to consider to perpetrate some
particularly theatrical outrage.
| That an untutored mind should divine
these psychological moments seems so
| improbable that Castro is often accused
| of relying on the judgment of ripper IN
| tellect. II is often advanced that there
| Is another who plans the course over
| which he alone dare steer his ship of
| state. If so the name of this Talleyrand
| Is unknown to Venezuela. There the bold
| dictator is known to be incapable of
taking advice and is quite certain to send
| to jail the one who offers it,
| Some attribute to him just plain. gooo
| luck but his own belief is widely shared
| that he Is the man of destiny. ordained
| to drive the hated foreigner from his land
| and thus become the savior OF South
| America by showing all the other repub-
| lies how they may demonstrate their
| power and independence to nations that
| collect debts with cannon 1t Is evident
| to resident in Venezuela that Castro's
mind, absorbed In schemes to drive the
| foreigner out and keep his money In, has
| neglected the development of his own
| country beyond the forma ton of various
monopolies for himself and Il chosen few.
Concentrates Money.
! This has concentrated the ready money
| in the hands of those connected with the
government, forcing the otherwise
| wealthy and once prosperous planters
| merchants and business men to allow
|
decay. No repairs arc being made to
| houses in town or country save its owner
| be a government official. No public
| works are being undertaken or kept up.
Bridges, streets, buildings, walks, roads
and parks, all are reproachful to the eye
fand the people, after tearing down the
| statues of Guzman Blanco who depleted
their treasury and lived abroad often
wish for the days when he gave them
| these things and took a pride in them.
| The change Castro. self-styled THE Re-
| storer," has wrought in their surround
| ings and the growing Indifference to them
| was voiced by Venezuelan when
| pointed out that the cemetery near Cara
cas- would oe a beautiful spot if it were
not married by broken paths. heaps of
, stones and scattered rubbish.
yes, he replied, looking YEARLY
| around and speaking low, at was once a
lovely spot, but since Castro has been
President even the dead have grown
| careless
Not long ago Nine. Castro returned
| from Europe. One of the things she men
| toned We're the fine roads she had no.
| ticed in France and Germany, and she
| expressed a wish that Venezuela had such
| roads
1T has better roads" asserted her hus-
| band the President. What is the Paris
you talk of to Caracas? Nothing. |
knew you would have something like that
| TIC say when you got back. Don't talk
to me of foreign roads or anything else
| again.!
AT a dinner one night at which there
| Were a number of diplomats the talk
| turned upon the fight at Port Arthur,
| and the prowess of the japanese was
| warmly praised.
"Pshaw." exclaimed Castro. Think of
the thousands of men they had and the
months they were at 1t. Why. | could
have taken Port Arthur in three days
| with five hundred Venezuelans' Only a
| smile ran around the table. the Italian
minister remarliing with a bow, Isl,
senior in two days with four hundred
Young Mans BIunder.
Shortly after this bright Venezuelan
youth. slated for a consulship, called on
his return from France to pay his re-
| spects to the President. He talked of the
| French army, being the most apt to
interest his chief. Concerning one i'm
| provement in tactics he was particularly
eloquent and suggested it would be well
| for the Venezuelan army to adopt it,.
Castro listened with darkening brow.
Ibid not Germany defeat France?" he
| asked, grimly.
Certainly, Senior President, but"
And did not | drive away the allied
fleets of Germany, England and Italy
when they tried to blockade my ports
|
army! have nothing to learn from it,
The young man Is still waiting for that
| ccnsulship.
| Another young man sat one night in
the Club Concordia with a friend. An
| orderly entered and handed him an Off
| cial note. His face paled, and turning
to his friend he said calmly he took
off mis- watch and gave il to him with a
roll of bills, II am ordered to present
myself at Mirafores. The President does
not say of what I'm accused or why he
wants me. No. | won't fly; I'll go to
him. Wait here. Take these things to
my wife; If | don't return by midnight or
send you word tell her what has hap
pened"
In an hour the young man returned
with II smile on mis- face and he took
back his watch and money he remarked,
TITS all right. | ann the new Minister
OF Foreign Affairs.
Thus II was that Gustavo Sanabria got
his portfolio.
Castro is Unfortunately FOND of dancing
| He attends all the large balls and is never
| OF the floor. lie dances rs he lights or
| plots-with all his might and main.
Ladies who hesitate in fsure are put
through it by the little man, who grabs
their arms and pushes them the way
they ought to go. None dare to resent
The rudeness to refuse TO waltz with
the President, whose contortions in this
dance make ii difficult for the onlookers
10 keep straight faces. 1t Is in dance
| Of his OWN a favorite with Andeans.
| which is something like our Virginia reel.
| only auainter and more intricate. that the
| Pre- sident breaks loose and cuts pigeon
| wings and things most wonderful to he