The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-25
If South American Country
Persists in Sneaking Ac-
tions, Uncle Sam Will Have
To Apply the Shoe.
POWER TO ACT is NOW
WITH THE PRESIDENT.
Much Speculation as to the
Probable Step Roosevelt
Will Take in Dealing With
Southern Country.

Washington, June 25.-The Venezue-
Ian situation has become so acute by
the withdrawal by the United States
of it's legation at Caracas that specu-
lauon is rife as to the next step to be
taken by the president.
Developments show clearly that
President Castro has instructed his
ministers here to remain until he has
be given his passports, so that Castro
will be able to say that the two pre-
liminary aggressive steps were taken
by the United States-the withdrawal
of its legation and the dismissal of the
Venezuelan Minister
This diplomacy of Castro is, how
ever, transparent to the state depart
ment officials, the highest in rank of
whom is Alvah A. Adee, who will take
no step that is not ordered direct from
Oyster Bay.
The state department is obviously
smoothing over the present tense situ-
alton by declaring that there Is moth
ing unusual in it, and points to the
fact that France has twice withdrawn
her minister from Venezuela, and that
other European nations are about to
act in the same way, without necessa-
rily declaring war.
The United States Is acting promptly
and it is believed would have ordered
the Charge d'Affaires, Jacob Sleeper,
home earlier, but for the belief that it
would have been charged to the presi-
dent that he was only waiting for con-
gress to adjourn to handle the case
himself.
President Roosevelt now occupies
the strong position in that he passed
the matter up to congress and gave it
a free hand, expressing willingness to
do whatever it indicated when he laid
the correspondence before the senate.
The senate had only two things to
do. One was to authorize the presi-
dent to declare war: the other to tenn
porize further. The latter idea was
chystallized in resolution, which was
prepared and to be acted upon, to the
effect that the United States should
make one more effart by sending a
warship or two to Venezuela with a
plenipotentiary commission on board,
and to demand that Castro arbitrate.
The United States government does
not at this time contemplate actual
physical coercion of Venezuela with
the army and navy. but it goes with.
| out saying that if the blockade proved
Intellectual the United States would
not haul down the flag and come
home; in other words, war would be
resorted to.
The question of war has been dis
| cussed by this government, and not
only plans, but estimates for the con-
tracts have been prepared. The navy
is always ready. The war depart.
ment is always ready, with the excep-
| ton of supply of transports.
Castro alone is the dominant figure
in Venezuelan affairs and it is beliey-
ed he will continue to play that role,
as he has done for nine years, unless
| conditions should be developed to
break his one-man power
Acting Secretary Adee has communi-
Gated with Secretary Root, and it is
probable that a conference will soon
be held between Secretary Root. AS
sistant Secretary Bacon and Acting
Secretary Adee.
The declination of the Venezuelan
government to issue passports to
Sleeper at his request is regarded by
the Latin-American element in this
city as a rather hateful sign. They
believe that Sleeper did not demand
his passports as a political step, but
| rather with the purpose of insuring
free passage for the legation party
through the rigorous quarantine lines
which would have to be crossed 70
take ship.