The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-10
IN SPAIN
VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NOT
 vERY ILL.
hectares He Will Go on to Bordesux mnA Does Not Expect Trouble, ma His HEisgion fs
 Pence.

|
 santander. Spain. Dec. s.--The French steamer Guadeioupe. with President Castro. of venezueia, on board. came in here today, It was learned soon after her arrival that President Castro will continue on board the steamer to | Bordeaux and that from Bordeaux he l win travel overland to Berlin. | President Castro has come to Europe | with the intention of settling all Ven- | ezueia's fnternational Quarrels. The general health 6f the President Is | good.
 The Guadeioupe came Into santander | flying the flag of Venezuela. In addi- | ton to President Castro there were on | board his wife his sister, Senora Car- denas. two aides and three pnysiciaMls. m tiz and pr. Fonzca.
 The mystery of the Presidents trip to Europe was dlspehed very soon siT | The reports that Castro is critically III, | that he was deserting Venezuela for ever. etc, were speedily pronounced came to Europe with the double pur- l pose of being examined by European specialists and to settle Venezuelan outstanding differences with foreign
 As President Castro Is his own Mia ister Of Foreign Affairs. he is confident of being able to conduct the negotia- tionsT to this end to 8 successful com clusIon and he believes that he will re- turn to Caracas in February with Ven ezuela st peace with the world. Carmelo Castro, one of the Presi- dents brothers, who recently arrived in Europe from Caracas by way of New York. had come down to Santander to meet the President and with the Ven- ezuelan consul the port officials and a number of journalists. he boarded the steamer as soon as she came to am ehcragU.
 President Castro was found in his cabin shaving. He laughed heartily at the fantastic rumors regarding his pur- poses and plans that have been in cir culatioh recently. The doctors said that the President was in excellent hcalth and that he had derived great benefit from the voyage over. He spent hours every day promenadlng the decks and chatting freely with his fellow passengers; in fact he was the life of the ship.
 The attending phySiclAns explained that Castro desired to consult Euro pean specialists regarding the advisa- bllity of an operation. He has been suffering for some years with a dis ease that is understood to be tumor of the kidneys.
 President Castro, in spite of the warnings of the Venezuelan consuls who talked with him on board the Guadeloupe, that he must not be per mitted to land in France and that he must be humiliated if he continued on to Bordeaux, announced that he had started for Bordeaux and that was where he was going Ills position is that the French government is aware that he Is going to France with his hands stretched out in peace. Before he left Venezuela he made the first ad- 1ance by authorizing the return of sev- oral Frenchmen who had been exiled for political reasons, and during the voyage over he had several long talks with M. Merleous, French Minister to Peru, who was a fellow passenger. He explained his intentions to N. Merleou and showed the minister documents which, so far, as the French govern ment Is concerned. Castro believed will have the effect of changing the gov ernments attitude toward him.
 He declared specifically to M. Mer- lou that he was ready to make import ant concessions in order to restore ann icable relations with France. N. Mer- leou assured Castro that France would be exceedingly gratiffed to learn of his conciliatory disposition and he guar anteed that Castro would suffer no dis aBfeedole lHcluehI oh AahoihB at BOT deaGX.
 In a dispatch from santander, NJ Merleou informed the French govern ment fully of the situation.
 President Castro, 1t Is said also ex- poets to arrange the difficulties of his government with the United States. in. cluiing the asphalt affair.
 President Castro declined to talk for publication to the newspaper men who rrfo qf kept to his cabin. Ills wife, however. chatted with the newspaper men in the dining saloon.
 A member of the presidents entour- age expressed the opinion today that various governments would be very much surprised when certain docu- ments in the possession of President Castro were shown to them.
 President Castro has every reason to believe that things will go smooth ly during his absence from home He has left matters in excellent shape and Acting President Gomez is regarded as fully competent to handlo the situa- ton.
 When one of his aides was informed of the reported revolution expedition under Generals Rolande and Fernando. that is said to be now in progress of organization at Curacao, the offlcer de- clared the movement would be utterly abortive
 President Castro was informed of the Dutch naval demonstratIon off the coast of Venezuela, but he would make no comment.
 The allegation that Castro declared in an interview once that he was proud of the faot that his government was on bad terms with most of the powers of Europe is not believed by those who know the president close ly nor Is 1t thought that he is trying to create confederation of the States of North and South America against Europe and the United States.
 May Land in France.
 Paris, Dec, 9-Humanitarian con alterations alone have influenced the governments decision to allow Presi- dent Castro to land at Bordeaux. It is stipulated however that his landing Is only possible in the event of his wishing to pass through France to another country to seek medical or sur gical treatment. or if his condition is so critical that an immediate operation 10 necessary.