New-York tribune., 1908-12-18
CASTR0'S REIGN OVER?
NEU7 POLITICAL ERA FOR
TENEZCEL4 LIKELY.
Sentiment in Caracas That a Peace
fuI Coup d'Etdt, Not Re0olu-
ton. Is Imminent.


= - several Of the possibilities he enumerates
+.,-e become actualities. and his intmanon that
r..,-o nay never return 10 Venezuela has been
,rslv borne out by the recent demonstrations
sl,e+ the Diotstor in Caracas and the actions of
C[5,.-o himself since his arrival in Europe:
rspeciaI Correspondence Of The Trtbune-l
,,-sCss Venezuela Nov. so.-That which for the
sd six weeks everybody here has prophesied- bu;
zb,oh no one has really expected. has indeed come
- MSS Castro, the Dictator. has left the country
eo- Europa The reason for the journey, an
-o,.oe6 is the necessity for surgical operation.
~. str-tScance Of such step on the part of the
venezuelan Executive can hardly be overest-
..as For not only Is Venezuela country where
.,-+.o-s break oui upon very slight provocation
.bs-e have been than sixty in the last
s-e-4v vea-s-but the general dislike Of Castro is
=, ,,re7.e that his departure must almost certainly
- re sis7al for an uprising. If not for the over
throw q his power
r,,s,-s -he Presidents departure every precaution
=. ,eten 10 insure the maintenance Of the status
,,,o during his absence. No newspaper has been
,r,v-A5 70 print the slightest suggestion that he
vrss a IL man that his Journey was undertaken
,7-suant to medical advice For his rule has been
srl By force and and # is therefore vital
~ IT'S raintensrce that the people should continue
- helieve him strong and able to enforce his will
Is he has dore IN the pest
THE PRESS MUzzLED
teu DAYS before he left the proprietors Of the
As1- dozen journals published here were summoned
= -. sc o< The Governor Of the federal district
=
- =+-ec-e6 to afix their signatures TO document
n1e5z-nE absolute loyalty TO the existing govern
-,.-- snd exclusion from their columns OF all
natter n any way opposing it in criticism of #
A. the same time the following order was made
publi- affecting ali printing Offices In the city, to
which al the printers subscribed:
United States Of Venezuela
Prefecture Of the Department Of the LbeTator'
r-p9- this date there have duly appeared. upon
TT1r--Ss r printing ofoes established in this
civ and the undersigned Prefect has notified them:
tbe1 az under absoute and invariabie obligation
s9-sTe-- person Who proposes to publish any news
qspe-. " news sheet. whatever other pubica-
,s--isernents. without which permission they are
@ % @ SET to @ to the % frs6ns 6h d5ed 5o ba4s 3is
e6r7e1rs LORENZO r CkRvAILo. Prefect-
Although Caracas had for month been hear
ing -1mors ~ the Presidents journey and dis
cussinE the probabilities for and against it. not
suggestion Of ii had been made through the press
CT br any official utterance and one knew posi-
tve-v vhat vas 70 happen Indeed Castro's own
ministers kept in the same ignorance On
the afternoon Of last Monday. the 23d the police
Distributed on the streets Of Caracas printed sheets
reading a. follows.
NENEZJ ELANS,
spsca- circumstances ob1ige me to-day TO leave
TIE country is established now IN the path Of its
rrle prosperity and grandeur by the strict fulfil
--e-- ~ Is oiligstions by The sound condition OF
rs finances, and by the solid peace which the na-
ir order that the work may endure Constitution
r-rlir- Surround him and lend him your oo-opera-
7ere 70 myself and you El have fun!led IN your
Caracas Noyernber .. 1903
The first official act Of the acting President, Gen
s-al Gomez, after the departure Of Castro the
2=rh vas the appointment OF sehor Leopoldo Bap-
r-sra IS Secretary General This official stands in
-he cosest personal relations TO the Executive and
authority and influence transcending even
tta- II the Ministers II fortunate. therefore,
that he Of ability ard Cne upon whom the
acting President relies implicitly Secondly. the
general announced that he would receive, twice
weekly. all persons calling upon him al the vel
Tow House" Castro has for long been
s-ros- inaccessible 70 the public the third place.
rhe general upon Thursday lasr. convened meet
t-g of Ire Cabinet OF Ministers. proceeding which
Castro has always deemed quite superfUous
= matter Of fact Gomez. though good soldier,
Is said 10 be quite conscious Of his deficiencies in
matters o1 statecraft and for that he Is
disposed 70 he guided by competent advisers. No
Gre was competent to advise General Castro.
WILL CASTRO EVER RETURN
The question. therefore that is upon everybody's
bps now that Castro has gone. is, VIII he. II he
-sEai-s his health. be allowed here and
resume office: or Will there be coup d'etat OF a
re-clzrion 20 put end his rule?
Tte answer 10 this lies with General Gomez and
tte group of men ny whom he is surrounded. II
they are convinced. are the mass OF the people,
--sr the present disastrous conditions in Venezuela
the suppression Of civil liberty. the prostration
trade and industry. the widespread poverty and
re embarrassing relations in which the nation finds
-rsef with various foreign powers-that all Of
--ese are the immediate result Of Castro's venal.
--easouable and arbitrary rule and If. thereupon.
-rev EfU q determine ton to exclude de-
pose him. II altogether probable that the move
~e-r would be successful and Venezuela be re-
.-e-e5 from the rnalign influence Of her present
Dictator Popular opinion would unQuestionably
E1pport-yes wecone-such outcome, and Co
Uezs popularity with the military chiefs would
probably insure the adherence of the army his
os1se
Etar Than 10 revolUtion-to peaceable transfer
renee uf power rather than accomplished
=. means II civil
e is not believed rhat Rolando, Rojas, Hernandez
src she other expatriated revolutionists possess
the money. arms or organization necessary 10 in
stt-re successful revolution from without: while
within The men of all parties opposed 10 the gov
ernnenr united in their hostility TO Cas-
1ro. rather than divided. has generally been
ne case heretofore by their several and conflict
ing snabttLons
STUDENTS BDGIN A DEMONSTRATION.
Al The present moment the air Of Caracas is
hLe6 with Hying rumors, Or 'bolas,' they are
locsly called and everybody is the qui vive
n the happenings Already there have been
tcrze significant straws indicating the quarter
Whence the wind may he expected TO blow. on
Tuesday afternoon. Immediately following Castros
cersY Ytl1re several hundred students Of the Uni
Versrty q Caracas paraded the streets. cheering
-cr Gomez and shouting Down with Castro
Fifteen % them were arrested and imprisoned.
day they repeated The performance even more
Fociferously. until dispersed by the police. Then