The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-25
VENEZUELA NOW UNEASY Castro's Agent Visits
 MT. Adee. DOES NOT WANT PASSPORTS MT. Sleeper Coming Home From
 Caracas. Our Government Has Severed Relations and ia Awaiting Developments
 on Part eff wiIy South
 Amertean.

Washington, June 24.--Senor Veloz Goiticca. the Venezuelan charge d'af. faires in Washington. was caller at the State Department today. He talk ed with Acting Secretary Adae but the latter declined to indicate what the na- ture of the conference was.
 MT. Goiticoa has not the remotest idea of demanding his passports as the outcome of the withmdrawaI of Jacob Sleeper. the American Secretary and charge st Caracas. Mfr. Sleeper is coming home by direction of the State Department. and it is admitted in ofa- eial circles that the act means a prac- tical cessation of diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
 Mir. Gioticoa knew nothing of what had occurred in Venezuela In connec- ton with the closing of the American legation there until he had read the morning papers. Nothing had prepared the charge for this action on the part of the state Department and the latest mall from his country, dated the 12th instant reported that everything was quiet there and not even any mention of the bubonlc plague. which Is said to be prevalent in some of the ports and even In the capital at Caracas.
 Certainly in the absence of any di- rect instructions from his government, the charge will make no demand for passports and 1t Is quite evident that he scarcely expects such instructions.
 It develops that the program adopt ed by the State Department is after ali not one of the moment. but is the the part of Secretary Root and AAetst- ant Secretary Bacon dating back te last winter. when at the request of Senator Lodge. the State Department submitted to the Senate all of the great mass of correspondence that has Seen exchanged between Washington and Caracas within the last i've years in regard to American claims.
 1o Await Developments.
 What the next step in this interna- tlonal complication will be Is a prob- lem that no one in connection with the administration here appears able to an- swer. It Is said that the present ts a time to await developments. especially to see whether President Castro. ai- ways resourcaful, Is willing to permit the United States to take the next step without any intervening move on hiu part to mend the situation which ho has brought about.
 Castro alone is the dominant figure in Venezuelan affairs and it Is believed here he will continue to play that role as he has for nine years unless condi- tions should be developed to break his one-man power.
 Acting Secretary Adee has communi- cated with Secretary Root and 1t fa probable that a conference will soon he held between Secretary Root. Assist- ant Secretary Bacon and Acting Secre~ tary Adee and as a result the corre~ spondence that has passed between Washington and Caracas since the De- pertinent of State submitted it's voI- luminous answer to the Lodge resolu- ti0u Ghall be made nubilC.
 The Navy Department has only meagre advice from Venezuela. The seaports of that country have boen summed by merchant ships on account of the plague and of course the Navy Department would not feel warranted in sending warships into the pest stricken coast waters except in case of great emergency. So naval movements in that quarter have been confined to those made by the little gunboat Ma rietta.
 The severance of diplomatic relations between America and Venezuela is re- garded here as technically complete and 1t is not necessary for the State Department to serve upon the Venezue- Ian government any further notification of the termination than was conveyed to that government by Mfr. Sleeper In person when he withdrew from Cara eas and indicated that the Brazilian diplomatic representative would b@ placed In charge of the archives of the American legation.
 The declination of the Venezuelan government to issue passports to Mir. Sleeper at his request Is regarded by the Latin n-American element in this city as a rather hopeful sign. They believe that Mir. Sleeper did not demand his passports (which of course he might have had If he persisted), as politi- cal step. but rather with the purpose of insurlng free passage for the Iega- tion party through the rigorous quar- antine lines which would have to be crossed In order to take ship.