Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-11-21

spondent who went to Venezuela re-
Gently to make a careful investigation |
OF conditions there. writes as follows |
from Caracas, "a lcc date of Oc.aD~- !
%:
The people of Caracas are hungry. |
This is the most important of the
troubles of Venezuela. It portends
more danger to the seepter of Castro
than all the guns Of Queen Wilhelm
Sna's feet. II is more damning
Judgment upon Castro's rule than ell
the COMBINATIONS of his political ere
mics.
To an American there is something
indescribably sad in the spectacle pre-
scented by a great city slowly dying OF
starvation. When Venezuela gained its
liberty from Spain, Caracas had a
population of $4,000. In the SO years
since 1t has but little more than held
its own, and for the past ten years
there has been steady decrease.
Twenty years ago, when Guzman
Blanco was dictator, Caracas enjoyed
a boom" or as near boom as is pos
sible In South America. The city at
tracted immigrants, business flourish
ed, handsome public buildings and
palatial residences were erected. Parks
and statues without number were al
ded to the beauties of the city. Hand
some theaters were erected, and there
was opera all the year round. Society
was gay, rich and care-free. The
driveways were crowded with the car
riages of fashion. The clubs resound-
ed with the laughter of the dineIs
and the gamesters. 1t was then that
Caracas gained IT'S sobriquet of Lit
tie Paris"
Now, with the same people and the
same surroundings, how different is
the pictured There is no immigra-
ton, and those who can do so are
leaving-going to Cuba and Porto
Rico and the Argentine. There is
no opera-the people can't afford It.
The driveways no longer know the
carriages of fashion-the grandees
haven't the money to support a car
riage. The gaming tables in the
clubs are dusty and unused for the
first time in two centuries-the bloods
haven't even piece of silver to stake
on the turn of card. The safes are
deserted and many Of them are closed
Little Paris is one with Nineveh
and Tyre.
There are more beggars on the
I SllSSI6 IMAM III uul 1t
Is to be doubted If the beggars are in
nearly SO pitiable condition as many
of the other people. The government
pawn-shop doors yawn wide to receive
the steady stream of centuries-old
mahogany and rosewood furniture
which pours in daily. The jewelry
shops are buying heirlooms that date
from the days of Charles V, buying
Thorn small cd fhat will hn
spent for bread.
The people of Caracas are hungry
The great business men of wealth,
crushed by the iniquities of Castro's
grinding taxation, have boarded their
money and are waiting. The small
business man has suffered in his turn,
and the petty employments open to
the masses of the people have been
closed. Castro's foreign policy has
been so ruinous that of the 10 steam
ship lines which formerly touched at
La Guaira, there are only three now
running, and but one of them is reg
ular. The plague stagnated every.
thing for months, but Castro only
raised taxes and would not help to
fight the pest.
Donna Zoila Castro, wife of the die
tator, is the most insistent of all the
grafters Of the regime. She demands
the payment of a tax levied upon the
daily receipts of the stalls of the pub
lie market. This must be paid in cash
every day. The result is that the
price OF food is rising higher and
higher, as the people become more and
more hungry and less and less able
to buy Suppose the wife of an Amer
lean president should demand a 10
per cent "rake Off on the gross re-
ceipts of the market houses of Wash
ington? How long would revolution
be delayed?
Revolution or assassination might
have come long ago If it were not for
the peculiar character of the people
of Caracas. They have always looked
upon government as a necessary evil,
they have always regarded presidents
as licensed thieves, they have no idea
that 1t Is possible for them to control
the government. Therefore they sub
NIT.
The people of this city are pure
Latins. full-blooded negroes, and abo-
riginal Indians, together with the in
termixture of these three races. The
mixed population is the majority, and
the pure white race is not more than
cne-tenth Of the whole. The negro
characteristics are dominant among
the mixed peoples. This fact may
explain their submissive attitude.
Then, too, the people are afraid. On
every corner is policeman. There
was never a town with so many police
men patroling the streets, and every
one of them Is armed with a aMuser
rife, and has belt filed with ball
cartridges. The policeman has the
power of life or death In his hands
and If his victim should be an suemy
of the government 1t would be official
virtue for him to shoot to kill These
J Mausers are not used because the
J cowed popuIaee afford the lDolice no
opportunity. Caracas is The best
behaved city anywhere.
Besides the rifie-armed policemen
there are the soldiers. Four great gar
isons have been erected in tbs Fesrt
of the city. In these are 6u3-tsred
the 5000 soldiers whom Castro thinks