The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-09
VENEZUELA SINCE
 CASTRO LEFT T At First Brave Show of ProS- perity and Liberalism FIGHT FOR SPOlLS IS ON West Point Graduate Leads One Fac ton of Gomez Government-castro
 May Yet Have Aonther
 Opportunity.
c. J. Post in New York Post.

This reform administratlon-reform IS as good a name to give it as any, and It fiatters the Venezuelan prlde-came to- gether and was found on no more secure foundation than bitter hatred of Castro and of things Christian. On this basis of united enmity is consolidated for the moment the popular feeling against Castro. and enthusiastically joined in overthrowing any policy or act already established, provided only that 1t had been inaugurated or indorsed by Castro. Individual factions and personal differ ences were forgotten for the moment or were merged in this temporary wave of hysterical patriotism Three months passed. The wave receded-the hysteria burst, and in cold blood each factionista and revolutionario began energetically working to secure his share of the fruits and profits of patriotism.
 With this fight for the spells becoming every day more and more acute, and the pledges of reform still hazy promises. 1t is small wonder that President Gomez and his Machiavellian counsellor, Leopold Baptista, have been shivering over the bare thought of Castro once again setting his foot on Venezuelan soil.
 Castro is not the only one who believes that he is a Man of Destiny" It is doubtful if there is an adherent of the present administration who is familiar with CastroE rise from "shoestring" re- volt in the Andes until he imposed his absolute dominion over the whole of Venezuela, and this in the face of every obstacle, domestic or foreign, that could be brought against him, who does not also believe and fear that he is a Man of Destiny" If there were no other req son to believe that Castro could again establish his supremacy, there would be sufficient in the fact that the present Venezuelan government Is so timorous over his merely landing. to be tried as a common felon on criminal indictment.
 Display of Prosperity"
 When the Gomez government an nounoed itself as the saviour of Vene- zuela last December, and as the advance agent of a general and thorough pros perity, the people believed it. and the blue skies of the tropics were split with their mad hurras. Baptisa, the new sec retary general shrewd and cunning, knew that visible evidences of this pros- perity must be forthcoming in some form, and at once. So gangs of workmen were put upon the streets of Caracas and the other cities of Venezuela, pounding little river stones into their places as pavements. Government agents or contractors took their stand in the streets of idlers in Caracas and called for @orkmen. The little struggling lines of hungry peons trotted by roundabout that all might witness the dawn of actual industry-to the place where the job of paving was to be had, cheering Gomez and the new administra- ton. President Gomez conspicuously took the air each afternoon, and would stop and personally supervise these gangs of street laborers that signalized the pros- oerity that now was legitimately Vene- zuela's, since Castro had been disposed of. Gomez raised their wages 15 cents a day, and none but the most callous mind could doubt that all the economic problems had been solved, and Venezuela was coming into the full measure of her political and prosperous heritage.
 Castro had banished the revolutionaries and the factionistas, whose sole claim to had been their conspicuous persistence in fomenting armed revolution as a means of political reform. Some of these men were not worth the dignity of banishment. Others were able men who could better have helped the government by being permitted to stay, while others were In that class of revolutionaries whose methods and principles differ in nothing but name from cratic brigand- age But, without discrimination, they were all welcomed back to Venezuela, and enthusiastic receptions given to each arriving exile.
 Welcome of Exiles.
 Carlos Leon, first to arrive signalized his return and his patriotism by talk ing the filibustering asphalt claim against his own country Rolando received a still more enthusiastic reception that turned his head, and the administration decided that the only way to lower Rolandos es- timation of himself was to give "El Mocho," Hernandez, the next returning patriot, a still larger reception Twenty thousand dollars were subscribed for this purpose, and the flattering reception was all that "El Mocho'' could desire "El Mocho'' Is one of the most interesting characters in Venezuela-and the most devious. There is no man who controls so large a following among the peons and negroes. The negro women have sold their jewelry, while the wretched peons on the streets have contributed their scanty pennies, to keep him in revolutionary funds during the last ten years, and yet, In that time, "El Mocho" has never won 20 much as even a skirmish, and has Bhrunk from battle as if 1t were a cold plunge. Three times has he rallied his followers in the field, and each time 1t was one succession of shy retreats and lnfOught engagements.
 Early this year, all over Venezuela news
 
 pages equally between damnation of Cas- -ro and laudation of Gomez and Baptista Castro was lampooned in cartoon and postcard. He was carried in efflgy through the streets of Caracas. Not a ripple marred the surface of the enthusi- asm. The new administration promised to abolish all monopolies established by Castro, to reform all the abuses with which he was credited, and for a while they rode high on the strength of these promises alone, bolstered by the evidence of the street paving industry.
 Any one who chose laid information and criminal indictments against Castro. He was sued for rent; actions for dam ages to property, alleged to be the result of his hunting for hidden treasure in the palaces he occupied, were instituted But what the serious charges were against Castro for crimes against the state are to this day unknown. They have been guarded with the utmost secrecy, while the Judge-Judge Abreu of the high fed eral court-before whom such accusations were laid with such triumphant enthus- iasm two months ago, has been summar- fly thrown into jail by Gomez, while the charges against him, too, are also lacking or are suppressed.
 Newspapers Suppressed.
 The newspapers that sprung up in such abundance have proven no more pleasing to this administration than they would have been to mere dictator. In perfect good faith these dailies proceeded to dis cuss the political and economic affairs of the nation. They were warned that such freedom of discussion constituted nc part of the new Venezuelan programme and painful though it would be to initiate