Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-31
The Castro Incident.

Prior to the upcropping of this Zelays
matter the State Departments chief con
Germ to the south of us was in keeping
one Senior Ciprlano Castro from agair
Setting foot on Venezuelan soil or taking
up his abode anywhere near it.
While the Venezuelan president was ii
Germany for serious operation a revo
luton against him and in favor of Vice
President Gomez, whom Castro had left
in charge of the government. broke out
in Caracas. Naturally. with the vice
president directing it, 1t was successful
and shortly after Castro was solemnly
declared guilty in the high federal cour,
of Venezuela of plotting for the assassi'
nation of his successor. March 26 Castro
set sail for France, with the avoweo
object of wrestling back his lost power
but wherever he turned for a foothold in
the West Indies he was told by the au'
thorities that he could not remain there
AS a result, Senior Castro-thanks to the
European nations responding SO promptly
to hint from Uncle SAINTS still impo-
tently gnashing his teeth in Europe. in
such opera bOuffe fashion the terror Of
South America was tanned.
1t was in January that Cuba again took
her place among the nations. the United
States troops Withdrawing following the
election and inauguration OF Jose Miguel
Gomez as president.
America in the Far East.
Undoubtedly the matters of largest mo-
ment engrossing the State Department
had to do with the far east. One was
the question of American participation in
the Chinese railroad loan, and. hence, in
the participation of the international
commercial development OF the Chinese
empire This matter first came to the
front in the early part of the year, when
it was announced that the bankers OF
England France and Germany were
about to participate jointly in lending a
large amount of money for the compile
ton of the HankOw-SZe-Chuen road
American bankers at once demanded par
ticipation and secured the support OF the
federal government in their demand.
Eventually the amount of the loan was
increased to make American participa-
ton practicable: but when the entire mat
ter was believed to have been settieo
amicably it was .rumOred that the chi
nese government, tired of the interna-
tional squabbling, had decided not 10
make the loan at all.
This is now the state Of affairs. Mean
while, the controversies between Japan
and China had taken a turn that ap-
peared important to all other hatlons'
both countries having signed an agree
ment in regard to railroad which was
being built by Japan in Manchuria. Some
of the Chinese protested that the agree
ment was cOerced from emma anu gave
the advantage entirely to japan, IN fact
constituted an aggression upon chinese
territory. Just at this moment there ap'
peared in one Of the American neWspa'
pers Washington correspondence set
ting forth the fact that the Japan
Chinese agreement was about to be IN
yestieated by the United States. The
CORRESPONDENCE was alleged to have
emanated from an interview with the
newly appointed United States minister
TO China. Charles r. Crane. Secretary
Knox accordingly recalled Mr.. Crane JUST
as he was to start from San Francisco
for his post, asked for and secured MS
resignation. ;.
The second week Of December II was
authoritatively stated that the chinese
mission would doubtless be offered 70
and accepted by William j. Calhoun
lawyer and diplomat. of Chicago, before
the end of the present year. IL Is the
aim of the administrators: to take active
care of American business interests III
the orient through the Chinese mission
Another Presidential appointment that at.
tracted wide attention was that OF United
states Circuit Judge Horace II. Lurton
IF tennessee to the United states
Supreme bench, to fill the vacancy caused
nv the death of Associate Justice Rulus
w. Peckham. The appointment was sen.
To the Senate December IL, and connrmeo
december 20. Judge Lurton and Fresi-
dent Taft formerly sat on the same
federal bench.