Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-24
BUCHANAN ON THE JOB
Hauled Out of Bed and Ordered
South Instantly.
CLAIMS WILL BE ADJUSTED
This Government Has No Intention
of Being Made a Collecting
Agency by Foreigners.
BY WILLIAM f.. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
There is not the slightest doubt that
the government of Cipriano Castro in
Venezuela has been overthrown. and that
Vicente Gomez. the vice president who
succeeds him in power, purposes to re-
verse his policy Of antagonism and restore
friendly relations with the rest of the
world
Like France, Holland and other nations
the United States has had no intercourse
with Venezuela for a long time because
of the manner in which President Castro
treated the members of our legation, al
though he was not so rude to them as he
was TO the representatives of some of the
European powers. Under Castros ad-
mnistration Venezuela has become An
outlaw of nations. and violated the most
sacred rules of international intercourse.
The newspaper dispatches from Vene-
zuca state that already the new ad-
miniStration shows signs of a desire and
intention to settle the disputes between
Venezuela and certain foreign powers that
have kept that republic in a light of un-
cnviable notoriety for several years past
Improvised Wireless Service.
Since the withdrawal of the American
our legation there has been in charge of
| the Brazilian minister to Venezuela, and
our communications with that country are
received and sent through the Brazilian
embassy in Washington. Last Sunday the
Brazilian amba received d cable
gram from the minister of his country at
Caracas saying that Castros government
had been overthroWn; that there had been
a complete change In the government, and
fI,,f ft,n n
as promptly as possible all international
questions At the same time he invited
| the United States to send commissioner
and a man-of-War to Venezuela as soon
as possible.
Accepting this invitation, the battle
| ship Maine which lay at anchor at Hamp-
ton roads was dispatched at once under
| command of Rear Admiral Conway H.
Arnold, who has the reputation of pos
seSSing great deal of tact and discre-
| ton. At the same time the dispatch
| boat Dolphin, which was at Port au
| Prince. Haiti, was ordered to La Guaira
and the gunbOat Des Moines to Curacao to
open and maintain communication by
| wireless telegraph. there being no cable
between Venezuela and the United States.
| The Dutch Island of Curacao, from which
| we have a cable is only few hours
| sail from the Venezuelan coast, and all
| our news from the latter country is
| brought ocross by steamer and cabled
| from Curacao. The Des Mones and the
Dolphin are no doubt already at their
posts and the Secretary of State will soon
| have authentic news from Venezuela.
Buchanan a Clever Diplomat.
| AS soon as the dispatch from the Bra
lillian minister at Caracas was received,
Secretary Root sent out "a hurry-up CALI
! for William I. Buchanan, the general
| utility man Of this administration in
Latin-American affairs. whose tact and
| skill in conducting delicate negotiations
have won the confidence and admiration
Of the President and Secretary Root. Mr..
Buchanan came originally from Sioux
City, Iowa. He was chief of the Depart
| ment Of Agriculture at the Chicago ex-
position, was sent to the Argentine Re
| land. retained at that post by President
Mckinley, notwithstanding his politics,
and remained there until he was Sc
| lected as director general of the Pan
American exposition at Buffalo. When
his work there was done he went to Mex
| leo as a member of the United States
delegation to the second International
American conference. He was delegate
TO the third conference at Rio de Janeiro. |
and also to the recent conference at The |
Hague. Although he has no Office under |
the government, Mr.. Buchanan Is fire. |
quently called upon for special missions
In connection with the other American !
REPUBLICS.
He nursed the state Of Panama through |
its infantile troubles and set the govern |
ment there upon its feet. He was the
representative Of the United States at |
the conference of the Central American
republics last winter. He spent last sum-
mer In Central America, trying to recon-
Gle the difference between our neighbOrs
down there. and represented President
Roosevelt at the installation of the Cen
tral American court of justice.
Mr.. Buchanan speaks Spanish fuently:
he understands the Latin-American char
acter. customs and methods He is
simpatico." as they call it, with their
interests and affairs, and has peculiar
traits which qualify him for the business
of peacemaker. Hence, whenever anv-
thing breaks loose in Spanish America
Mr.. Buchanan is hurried to the Scene Of
the trouble as rapidly as possible, with
large punches of olive branches in both
hands.
Was Ready at Moments Notice.
1t is therefore perfectly natural that
Secretary Root should think Of him as
a missionary Of peace and good will to
restore friendly relations with Venezuela
After telegraphing to everybody who
might be acquainted with Mr.. Buchanan's
whereabouts he was finally located at the
residence of his daughter in Buffalo, and 7
communicated with by telephone in the
middle of the night. After hurried ex-