Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-23
WILL SETTLE FOREIGN TROUBLES,
Castro Accused Of Participating in Plot to
Kill Gomez===Bank of Venezuela Cuts Off
Presidents Credit===Pris0ners Freed,

Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec
21.-via Willemstad, Dec 22.-The enc
Of the rule in Venezuela of Cipriant
Castro has come. The dictator who ha:
governed the republic with a rod o.
| iron ever since he took forcibc pos
session of the Yellow house III Caraca:
IN 1899, is now openly charged viii
conspiracy to compass the assassna
ton of a man he left at the head of TIL,
republic when he sailed away on Nov
% from La Guiara, nonlinally to secure
Skilled medical aid in Berlin for /
nalady of long standing and is toda!
thoroughly discredited
The Bank of Venezuela has cabled its
agents cancelling the unlimited lette,
of credit given to President Castro
when he left Venezuela for Europe and
10 one in Caracas believes he will ever
dare return to the capital. The Castrc
cabinet has been forced OF resign and
a new and progressive ministry has
cen appointed by Juan Vicente
Come. the acting President.
The attempt upon the life Of Gomez
vas frustrated by the cool nerve. and
courage Of tie acting President him
self. Alone and unsupported he ar
rested the ring leaders of the con-
sliracy with his own hands, in the
presence of their armed adherents, anG
after this action ne issued proclama-
ton saying that not only had he saved
his own life. but he had maintainetl
the highest ideals of the CHIEF magi3-
tracy of the republic. Already the new
administration shows signs of desire
and intention to settle the disputes be-
tween Venezuela and certain foreign
powers that have kept the republic in
a light of unenviable isolation for sev :
eral years.
At a council held yesterday between
Acting President Gomez and Baron
in charge of the interests of Holland
since the departure of the Dutch min
ister NJ. DE Reus, last summer. it was
agreed to suspend the operation Of the
decree issued by President Castro pro-
hihiting the trans shipment at Willeln-
stad of goods destined for Venezuela.
Pending the celebration of a treaty
between Holland and duly empower
ed Venezuelan commissioner, the Dutch
warships that have been patrolling the
Venezuelan coast for the last three
weeks will be withdrawn.
The attempt to assassirate Acting
President Gomez and several OF the
ministers was decided on Friday night,
Dec Is. Gomez heard of the plot that
same night, and the next morning took
tie personal stand that nipped it in the
bud.
The men concerned in the conspiracy
were President Castro's closest friends
and best known adherents. Secret
cipher cablegrams have passed between
President Castro in Berlin and his
agents here since the popular anti
Castro demonstrations or Dec. 13 and
IA. A prominent lawyer has filed an
accusation in the high federal court,
charging President Castro with COM
plicityl i'll the plot to assassinate.
Caracas, Monday. Dec q. via Will
lemstad, Curacao Dec. 22.--The down
fall of President Castro in Venezuela
was completed Saturday last with th"
Illustration of a desperate plot to as
sassinate Juan Vicente Gomez, the
acting President of the republic.
between Preside 1T Castro in Berlin and
his agents here since the popular anti
Castro demonstration of Dec. y and H.
A prominent lawyer has filed an ac-
cusation in the high federal court
charging President Castro with com
p]icity in the attempted assassination
and proposing his impeachment
There was q meeting Monday night
of the plotters in the residence IN Ca
racas of Garbias Guzman. who was
secretary general in the last Castro
cabinet and who was placed in charge
of President Castro's personal busl-
ness in Venezuela when the President
left for Germany.
The conspirators decided upon a
coup d'etat. They determined to as
sassinate Acting President Gomezz,
Jose Jesus Paul. the foreign minister;
Gen. Leopoldo Baptiste and other
prominent men, seize the administra-
ton of the country and with the army
terrorize and overrawe the population.
Torres Cardenas, who was at one
time minister of the interior under
President Castro and later his person
al secretary, was the active leader of
the conspiracy. He was entrusted with
the carrying out Of the plot. He had
as lieutenants the commanders OF
three battalions. In spite of the pre-
cautions taken an intimation of what
was on foot reached the ears of Act
ing President Gomez. AS soon as he had
satisfied himself of the truth of the re-