The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-14
Cruiser Captures Venezuelan Vessel From Under Guns of Puerto CabellO
 Fortress,
rows PRIZE TO WILLEMSTAD
Shore Guns Remain Silent in Spite of Recent Threat to Answer Hostile Act
 With Shot.

WIlemstad, Island of Curacao, Dec.
 13. The Dutch cruiser Gederlanl
 came into this port this morning. tow
 ing the Venezuelan coast Suardshp
 AliX, with the dutch flag flying and d
 Dutch crew on board Tnc Glider
 land captured the Allx off Puerto Ca
 hello on Saturday At the time the
 Aliy was lying close inshore and. not
 withstanding the threat which the
 Venezuelan government had made to fire upon any of the Dutch warsnps committing a hostile act the Glider
 land steamed at speed towards the
 guardship and sent an officer and
 guard in a launch to seize her. This
 they did without resistance, and no
 shot came from the forts on land.
 The crew of the AliN was put ashore
 and the Dutch officer and marines re- mained on board, The Gelderand
 finally took the AlX in tow and steaming away with her as a prize
 The seizure of the Allx is in accord-
 ance with the plans of tho Neither
 lands government, when instructions
 were issued to the three Dutch war
 ships now in these waters to make demonstration off the coast of Nen-
 ezuela and to capture any Venezuelan ships of war or guard vessels that
 they might find The arrival of the
 Gelderland at Willamstad this morn
 Ing was greeted with unbounded en-
 thusiasm by those who noticed the cruisers approach, and soon the cn-
 tire populace were down at the wa
 ter's edge to welcome the warship
 towing tho first of the enemys ships.
 as though from great conquest.
 Naturally, the people of Curacao
 wao has long hoen clamoring for ac- tivity by the Dutch government, are greatly retoiced over this evidence that Holland has at last begun active measures against Venezuela. but the governor of Curacao, in explaining the incident, had this to say this after noon;
 "The capture b your warships of coast guards and war vessels Is not to be considered an urfriendly act toward the Venezuelans II Is merely a re- prisal against Castro's government, which refuses 10 give satisfaction for his unfriendly acts toward Holland Tho seizure of those vrssels will make It mnoasible for the Venezuelan govern men Go carry troops or ammunition to and from the various ports
 %t communication to this effect has hcrn forwarded hy the Dutch govern m en' to the German minister at Car Ycas"
 / T. ls learned from the officers of tho i. Gederland that the battleship Jacob Van Heemskar, and the cruiser Fries land are now off LaGuaira. ands that further captures may be expected at any time These two vessels loft here on Friday cleared for action. and it believed al that time that their in- tentton was to make forclble dem onstreton At LaGuaria, The opinion is held here that fin the absence of President Castro, the Venezuelan gov. ernment will not go so far as to flra upon tho Dutch warships which, since Venezuela Is practically with out a navy, virtually hold the Venezuelan ports at their mercy
 The naval force of Venezuela consists of ten vessels or these, three, tho Bolivar, Miranda, and MarEarIta, are gunboats The others except the Res taudor. which was formerly the steam yacht Atalanta. are hardly worthy or mention. They are nothing more than armed tugs There is one twelve-pouud gun on the Restaurado, but aside from this there Is moi 2 gun i'm the fleet bigger than 2 six-pounder. The Ven eauelan forts, however, age mounted with some modern six inch Krupp guns.