New-York tribune., 1908-12-23
REVOLUTION FORESE-EN
GONEZ'S AID GIVEN To
POPULAR RISING.
Deserti0n Of Castros Former Friends
DR.. PauPs Promise to Re
store Peace to Nation.
Especial Correspondence or Tn- Tribune-1


ment. and although at this hour, u O'Clock mid
night. the crowds which had swarmed the streets
about the Plaza Bolivar have dispersed the feel
ing is general that the revolution against the
rule OF Cipriano Castro has at last begun ana
that the sequel TO to-day's events must Ger
tainIv be the dictator's overthrow and the estao-
lishment Of q new government probably unoer
the leadership OF General Juan Vicente Gomez,
the present First Vice President and acting ex-
ecutive in the Presidents absence
From the moment of CastrO's departure Ior
Europe on November "a IL has been apparent
that an outbreak must soon occur The hrst
sign Of il was given when, the afternoon OF
his sailing several hundred students Of the uni
versfty marched through the streets OF the city
acclaiming Gomez and crying Down WIN
Castror' The arrest of fifteen OF their number
did not dismay them, and on the two following
davs they repeated the demonstration, and only
desisted when General Gomez himself sent Ior
their leaders and told them that the time for
such & demonstration had not yet arrived and
that he would notify them when it should come
Thereupon he set at liberty the students VINO
had been arrested
REVOLUTIONARY APPEALS ISSUED
At the same time there appeared on the streets
and in the clubs three or four printed sheets IN
the form Of indictments against Castro and his
language the depIorabIe condition OF the coun-
try resulting from his rule and reciting the cat
aIogue OF his naisappropriations from the public
revenues and OF his private graft since he mas
held office All of these ended with an appeal
70 Gomez TO rid the country OF its venal and
conscienceless dictator. and himself assume the
leadership of the nation for the purpose ~ ex-
Treating unhappy Venezuela from the dangers
and difficulties which confronted her both al
home and abroad
The next incident was the publication in
"Sancho Panza" a semi humorous journal OF
Caracas. of a clever satire Castro in the form
Of a parodied interview Of Don Quixote with his
faithful servitor whose name the paper bore
This was in direct violation Of the inhibition put
upon the press a few days before by the Gov
ernor. Of the federal district, General Cardenas'
Castro's chief lieutenant, who had imposed a
rigid censorship. Accordingly the paper was
promptly suppressed
On Monday last General Carlos Leon. an able
man and Gomez's loyal friend. whom Castro
had banished from the country. arrived from
New York by the American boat-undouotedIy
recalled by General Gomez And. finally, yes
+e-da1- there came to the city from the federal
state Of Bolivar. OF which he is president Cen
ara1 AIcantara heretofore friendly 70 Castro.
b,7+ now II is believed won over to the cause Of
the GOnnistas.
Meanwhile the situation in Caracas was about
as follows. The mass of the people hated
Castro and yearned for his overthrow Nearly
all the leading merchants and professional men
o4 the CITY sympathized with them. as did also
many men within the ranks Of Castro's own
government who recognized the disasters which
hts r7,Ie had brought upon the land Several
- the nron7inent military chiefs also we're
l,noyn TO be in sympathy with the anti-Castro
party
FEW ADHERENTS TO DICTATOR
C-,-osa6 20 these and representing the Castro
regime was. first of all, the Governor. General
ps5ro Maria Cardenas. who practically held the
dtc+ator,s power OF attorney. for Castro in
s+r,,c+ad the counandants of the four military
cI7ar+els or forts in Caracas 70 hold them
s1z-as subject 10 the order OF the Governor. and
not Of General Gomezz. the Acting President
an utterly arbitrary and Illegal order When
q day or two ago, one Of the conInanoahIs' III
obedience to these Instructions undertook TO
refuse compliance with an order OF the Minis
ter Of War General Gomez promptly arrested
him and put him in prison TO think the matter
over With Cardenas were the ofdceholders
whom Castro has put in place and the com
u1andant Of the chief military Quartet and OF
tba prfson. The soldiers are Of an ignorant
class mostly Of mixed negro and Indian blood
and are ready TO obey the command OF theIr
superiOrs. SuCh was lIle Si1tA014O'A ~ ~ ~
morning.
. During the forenoon printed slips were cir
.cuIated in the streets. announcing public meet
in- in the Plaza Bolivar, the central square OF
+ba CITY on which the yellow House OF execu-
tf,.a mansion. faces: the meeting 70 be held at
i O'clock in the afternoon 10 protest against the
hostile action Of a Dutch cruiser, which yester-
5a,- caDtured and took into CURACAO, Nenezu-
clan revenue cutter. Everybody suspected that
tbs stated object OF the meeting was only
hind for its real purpose. which was believed 70
ba a nublic demonstration against Castro. and
a simultaneous call upon Gomez to assume the
leadership. And so ii proved to be.
THE AssEAIBLAGE IN THE SQUARE
Al a few minutes before o'clock. I sat in
my, hotel fronting the plaza I heard the sharp
rano-t of hrecrackers exploding in the square
,onnosite Quickly the crowd gathered at the
,au and assembled about the equestrian statue
OF simon Bolivar, in the centre Of the plaza;
from, the pedestal Of which a student OF the
comrades. one or two policemen who undertook
70 interfere were speedily hustled out OF the
crowd. who thereupon fell in behind the orator
and led by bearers OF two national flags. pro-
cea1ed 10 march through the square and the
adjacent streets stopping now and then to listen
10 the fervid oratory of some one OF their
number.
The crowd consisted largely OF boys and
vounr men, students OF the university with
following OF citizens and was altogether tenn
Continued second page.