Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-06
CURACAO, CARACAS AND CASTRO

Curacao is an island of the Leeward
group in the Caribbean sea. situated sew
enty-five kilometers
South American north of the Venezue-
Ian coast. Dutch
NapoAeon' possession. Caracas Is
the capital of Venezuela. situated twelve
kilometers from the port of La Guaira.
Castro-well, Castro is the we'll known.
too we'll known, president of Venezuela
otherwise. the most successful diplomat
of the twentieth century, the Talleyrand
and even the Napoleon of his time, for
Castro affects martial genius. Castro has
defied all Europe and America. and sue
cessfully. and Napoleon did not do more:
indeed. he did less.
Curacao and Caracas were hostile long
before Castro. Nor was this situation en-
tirely due to the hostility between the
two governments, but the result Of con-
dition due to proximity and the conse-
quent jealousy between Curacao and Ca
racas.
Venezuelan revolutionists have from the
beginning of government there made Gu
racao a point of departure and a place
of refuge in case of failure. The gov
ernor of Curacao in 1857 refused to sur
render certain fugitfves to the President
OF Venezuela. In 1869, however. Gen.
Guzman Blanco. then revolutionary
leader. fled to Curacao, but the govern
ment at The Hague. ignoring the estab-
iished precedent. issued a decree expell-
ing the refugee. Guzman Blanco. with
characteristic energy. returned to Cara
cas- overthrow his rivals. and, declaring
himseif president maintained that posi-
tlon Tor nearly thirty years Guzman
Blanco during his term remembered 10
MS advantage the precedent in his case
and insisted upon its application to his
fugitive enemies. Charges of smuggling
including arms and ammunition. have beer
a chronic grievance against the Dutch
In 1870 Holland resorted to a naval dem.
onstration at LaGuaira In 1875 diplo.
matte relations were broken off and were
not resumed until 1894, when Gen Garcia
visited The Hague and signed a protocol
In which both parties relinquished their
claims. On that occasion. it will be 70.
called. Queen Emma sent the governor OF
Curacao with letter to President Crespo
VINO being absent at his country seat II
was received by the vice president, which
gave offense to The Hague.
X
In 1899 Castro ousted Andrade and was
chosen provincial president in 1900 and
was elected for six years in
Troubled 1901. His administration
r. has been marked by several
revolutions. notably that OF
Matos in 19O2-O3. But his disputes with
European and American creditors have
earned for him a remarkable reputation.
Castro is not, perhaps, SO great a sinner
as 1t may appear, for it should be remem.
bered that there has been some provoca.
ton, which may have distorted his judg.
ment.
In the first place, Castro broods upon
the disputes of long time ago in which
Venezuela was manifestly In the right
In 1921 English and Dutch settlers estab.
lished themselves in the region drained
by the lower Essequibo, bringing in ques
ton the boundaries between Venezuela
and Guiana. In 1S39-4O Venezuela pro.
tested. and finally both parties agreed t.
recognize the de facto line established ir
1853. In 1887 England occupied the mair
branch of the Orinoco and fortified hel
position. VeneZula protested, and prompt.
ly broke off diplomatic relations and ap
pealed to the United States for protection
President Cleveland in message tc
Congress in 1894 mentioned the dispute
Subsequently the British government mott.
fled the government at Washington tina,
1t had nothing to arbitrate with Vene.
zuela." Mr.. Cleveland thereupon addressed
special message to Congress, which BY
its strong terms created no little commo-
ton in diplomatic circles. Congress re-
in the subject by appropriating s1O0, 900 te
defray the expenses of a commission &c
determine 1.-The true divisional line be.
tween Venezuela and British Guiana" In
November. 1896. before the commission
had reported, Great Britain, with tina,
alacrity which she displays on occasion
when big stick is in the air. yielded
to the request of the United States tina,
the matter be submitted for arbitration
The arbitration tribunal made its aware
foli1 no IL; .l
had been previously indicated.
In 1908 France, Germany and Grea'
Britain and other countries urged claim:
against Venezuela for loss o.
Joint property of their subjects in
A++,.L successive revolutions and non
payment Of principal and in
terest on debts contracted for public
works. A settlement was arranged with
France. but the British and German
governments, with the assent Of the
United States. having due regard to the
inviolability of the Monroe doctrine.
seized number of Venezuelan gun
boats and instituted peaceful block
ade" of the Venezuelan ports. Deem
II. 1903. Italy became a party to the
blockade, and on the 18th the allied
bello and San Carlos, and Castro, his
pride satisfied at the honor of a bonn
bardment, signified his willingness to
arbitrate. and in February, 1904, The
Hague tribunal pronounced in favor of
the allied powers.
The London Times. in an article en-
titled president Castro Again." says:
1.-The back-country politician from the
Andes who took to revolution because
he could not or would not pay his taxes
and triumphantly planted himself in
the Yellow House at Caracas, is not
only an able man. but q man with a
rich sense of humor. He SCOTS at ap-
peals to justice and to the faith of
stance with impudent sophistries couch
ed in that grandiloquent rhetoric which
has SO great charm for the half-edu-
Gated members Of the Latin races When
these have been answered he resorts to
sheer effrontery"
His explanation of his peculiar con-
duct, made to a French Journalist who
was fortunate enough to be received by
him, is novel and merits mention. He
has. he asserts. IAN immense advantage
in these controversies, that whereas
other powers have sunk large sums Of
money in Venezuela, Venezuela has not
For fact, while eX-presidents have
RENTED their savings to Europe in
view of their probable flight, the Vene-
zuelan nation and state are large debt
ors of other countries. In this lies the
confessed secret of Castro's conduct.
Castro has christened himself the ere
Sforer aS Rolivar was tho sIiborotor >,