The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-01-03

which only speculates on wealth and
the most insipid egotism.
AS For Castro.
As for the president of the republic, ii
would be looking for a needle in hay
stack to find new terms for describing his
character, talents, energies and misdeeds.
The republican laws and institutions have
for a long time been caricatureS. The die
tator has changed the laws, made new
ones, annulled them whenever they did
not serve his purpose-all of which has led
to a situation of "every one for his own"
Disappointed by all the violations of the
law, the people have taken the law in
their own hands for their own rights. In
justice or club law is the watchword to-
day
Why 1t has been possible for Castro and
his adherents to rule the country and why
q revolution has not burst out in the last
few years can easily be told. Castro sur
rounded himself with a great number of
friends, who thankfully received from
their patron wealth and high positions
when they were poor cowboys and cattle
dealers. The president had an almost
well organized, we'll armed police force,
detectives, and spies OF the latter some
were miscarried Europeans, who. on ac-
count of their names, have been tolerated
in better society The clodhoppers abused
the good faith placed In them and have
sometimes been the immediate cause of
the expulsion of first-rate statesmen and
representatives of foreign countries. They
all have worked for the loaves and fishes,
their motto being: STAND and deliver"
Castro Is "up to snuff" clever, brutal,
and fearless. When he heard of new
conspiracy-the people have always been
plotting against the government in some
part of the country-it was generally
only "a hours old. His chief of police
would make two or three prisoners. If
the affair looked little serious, Castro
would expel the conspirators, but If dan
gerous, they would be given a cell in
one of the fortresses a dreadful fate IN
Venezuela.
venezueans told me that judges, pro-
fessors, state lawyers, governors. even
presidents may change-but the chief Of
ficer of the police remains at Caracas.
The people stand in awe of him: he is
nightmare.
Better People Indifferent.
The better classes are almost Indifferent
to the present situation. One day We met
in society prominent man who had the
gift of CAB; he spoke frankly-a very rare
thing here-about conditions.
yes he said, I'VE are absolutely indif-
ferent. What is the reason and the use in
casting pearls before swine? Our Venezue-
Ian plebeians are worse than in any other
South American country. They don't lilSe
to work; they like to drink and be idle. In
the very beginning the fancy took me to
help the poor people. Now have lost this
ideal! 1t is sad but absolutely true: 'Cada
pueblo tiene ell Gobierno que Sc merece."
These people like to be treated like dogs
and | don't believe that a change of gov
eminent or president will bring us the
land of promise. The greatest number of
our natives are undeveloped. They hate
in their infinite tupidity-reforms, cleo
trio light, cars, railroads and all that
goes to make a modern state. If Castro
disappears, there will come another presi-
dent of the same order, very probably
one of his good friends-and again it
will be all the same-'E pur 81 muove.'
What we need is good licking by one
of the foreign powers. After that Vene-
zuela must be overlooked by European
immigrants. We need foreign blood, en-
ergy, capital. for the exploitation of our
rich soil. Our people prove every day
that they are not able to cultivate the
splendid ground, to make railroads, to
work mines. We have no good engineers,
or their number is so small for this coun-
try that 1t looks ridiculous to operate
with Them
Army Point of View.
An officer of the Venezuelan army
told me:
1--WE are not afraid of intervention on
the part of foreign powers. First, there
Is that fine Monroe Doctrine, which for
bids any European country to conquer
property or land in Venezuela. The
United States are so kind as to protect
us with their dear big stick Our situa-
ton is still better since the conference