Evening star., 1908-12-22

FORCED TO TAKE ACTION
All Venezuela in Revolt Against the
Old Regime.
BEGAN WHEN DICTATOR LEFT
Vice President Compelled to Save
Himself by Recognizing Govern
ment and Promising Reforms.

! PORT OF SPAIN. Trinidad. December
21.-Vice President j. Vicente Gomez, TO
whom Gen. Cipriano Castro handed over
| the presidency on his departure for Eu
| rope. has established a new government
in Venezuela. He has replaced the old
| ministry, the leader of which was Dr.
Jose de Jesus Paul. the minister Of for
eign affairs. who has been the one figure
outside of Castro himself in the negotia-
tions that eliminated in the ousting of
Minister De Reus and the severance of
diplomatic relations with Holland. with
! a new body of men, who represent vari-
Gus factions in the state and who have
figured prominently in various ways in
the political history of the country.
! Not only has Dr. Paul dsa ppea red
/ from the counsels OF the nation but Dr.
Baldo. who is now travelling in Castro's
| suite abroad. also has been removed from
| his official position as minister of educa-
| ton. Gen. Diego Ferren. the minister of
war who also was war minister in the
| cabinet of Acting President Gomez in
1906. has been superseded by Gen. Regulo
Olivares. who took a prominent part in
crushing the revolutionists six years ago.
| The new cabinet is composed as follows
| Minister of educaticn--Linares Alcan-
| tara.
Minister Of foreign affairs-Gonzales
! Guinaud.
! Minister of tinances-Munoz Tebar
| Minister of war-Gen. Regulo Olivares.
1 Minister of fomento (patronage)-Rafael
| Carabano Obras.
! Minister of public works-Roberto Var
gas.
Minister of public instruction-Dr. NAL
! donado.
Country in a Ferment.
| Secret advices received here from Ca
! racas, where the strictest censorship is
being observed. indicate that the whole of
| Venezuela has been in a ferment ever
since President Castro sailed, and that
the crisis was reached a few days ago
when it became necessary for Acting
President Gomez TO take decisive steps,
! which he Gid by eliminating from his
! cabinet those who were closely affiliat ed
with the Castro rule and under the Castro
! domino ton.
The revolutionary factions. which gained
! strength with every hour Of Castro's abb
| sence. played prominent part in the
! demonstra tions against the absent presi-
| dent, which took the form of rioting and
| incendiarism. These were temporarily
! checked by show of force. and later the
| revolutionary influence that threatened to
sweep the country was overcome in
| measure by promises that could not be
! held in allegiance.
The establishment of new government
! in Venezuela has been expected from
! day to day, and it is probable that it was
! the outcome of the anti-Castro, anti
Gomez demonstrations, which began at
! Caracas and other places in Venezuela
| almost the very day that President Cas-
| tro sailed for Europe
| Before leaving, Castro, in proclaiming g
Vice President Gomez his temporary sue
| cessor. said to the nation. Surround
| him and lend your cooperation in the ful
| fillment of his mission as if it were l my
| SELF and YOU will have done your du-
| ties
Practically Castro's Farewell
| In the same proclamation President
| Castro gave utterance to what might be
| taken as farewell message: 1.-The Vene-
| zuelan nation already is on the road to
| true prosperity and grea tness of the strict
/, fulf1llment Of obligations and the sound
| condition of the revenues, and because
| OF the state of peace which we enjoy and
which it is your duty to maintain, that
| my work may endure"
! Events since then have moved swiftly
| In Venezuela. and December If the
| people of Caracas. unable longer to with
| hold their passions, arose against Castro
They tore down the statue and pictures
| OF the president and burned them in the
public places: they wrecked buildings and
! applied the torch. sweeping through the
city and gathering strength and fury with
every new act of violence. 1t then
| seemed certain that Castro's rule in
! Venezuela had ended.
Gomez himself. in the position of acting
president, was far from secure. II was
brought forcibly home to him that he
must either withdraw from that office or
cast aside those of Castros ministers
who still We're trying to force the Castro
rule upon the people. Apparently he
! chose the latter course He first declared
! the country in a state of defense thereby
isecuring control of the army and then ap-
pointed new cabinet, the members of
which represent a diversity Of factions
Event Was Not Unexpected.
! On several other occasions when Cas-
tro has turned over the government to
| Vice President Gomez, ii was freely pre-
diclcd that Gomez would succeed Castro
as president of the republic. He had
many supporters in the anti-Castro camp,
chief among those in favor of his candi-
dacy being Gen. Arrange. the former min
lister OF war, who worked earnestly to
place Gomez III power. While seemingly
Gomez has been ardent supporter of
Castro. lie has maintained time and again
that he did not favor the foreign policy
of the government. declaring that the
! treatment accorded the United tSates
and France was ilI-advised, and that he
was not in sympathy with the conduct
OF internal affairs. He even has express
ed the opinion that he was not trusted
F., by President Castro, although the latter
gave denial to this by appointing him to
fill the Office Of president while he him
| self was absent.
Castro's European Mission.
President Castro, WHO is now i'm Dr.
1sraers hospital in Berlin. hos persistent
ly declined to believe the reports of the
revolutionary movement in his country
He has admitted receiving dispatches
daily from his government. but has de-
clared that these contained no word OF
internal disturbances. His~rlission to
Europe was for treatment of a malady
from which he has long suffered but on