Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-06
Refused Permission to Land
at Trinidad.
MUST GO TO VENEZUELA
Arrest Probable When French Ship
Touches La Guaira.
WASHINGTON TIPS LONDON
Great Britain Believed to Have Acted
on Request of This Government
to Refuse Asylum.

PORT OF SPAIN. Trinidad, April g.
At the urgent request Of the State Depart
ment at Washington, communicated to
the London foreign office the British gov
ernment has decided not to permit
Cipriano Castro. former President of Nen-
ezuela. to land at Trinidad.
Cipriano Castro is returning to the
West Indies from Europe with the avowed
purpose Of recovering the presidency OF
board the steamer Guadeloupe. Where
he purposes to land in the West Indies is
not definitely known. His original inten
ton was to leave the steamer at La
Guaira. the port of Caracas. but the Ven
ezuelan government at first refused it's
permission. Subsequently this refusal
was Withdrawn, and 1t was intimated that
Castro could land on Venezuelan soil but
at his own peril. 1t was then said that
Castro would leave the Guadeloupe at
watch his opportunities from that port
1t was also said that he might continue
on to Colon for the same purpose
The Guadelouoe is due at Trinidad
April 10 and at Colon April Is.
The latest advices from Caracas inti-
mated that Juan Vicente Gomez. the pres
ent president of Venezuela CONTEMPLATED
resigning in favor of one of the vice
presidents of the republic
Confirmed in London.
LONDON. April 8. - Great Britain 9
change from a policy of non-interference
in the situation that threatens today in
the Caribbean to a decision not to allow
Cipriano Castro to land at Port of Spain,
Trinidad, is a friendly act to America
and the other powers more directly in
terested in Venezuela.
IL did not occur to Great Britain when
the continental powers decided not to al
low the former president Of Venezuela to
land At their West Indian ports that he
might make use Of British ports as 2 base
in campaign which possibly would end
In unsettling the present pacific conditions
IN Venezuela
AS soon as the State Department pointed
out, however, that the dethroned dictator
OF Venezuela probably would cause
trouble, the foreign ONCE decided to take
action and instructed the officials at Port
of Spain to prevent Castro from landing.
~ uPOlNTAP1TRE. Guadeloupe. April O.
Castro. the former president of Venezuela,
on board. arrived here today from France
She will stay in port over night and con-
.,nne,e .inus on % nsr way tomorrow: no % Her next
loupe. Senior Castro did not come ashore
here.
State Department Advised.
There is something mysterious about
the reception awaiting ex-President Cas-
Iro on his arrival in Caribbean waters
Besides being a man without a country
the former President of Venezuela seems
to be regarded everywhere as a most un-
desirable citizen With the possible ex-
ception of Venezuela. all the ports of the
Caribbean where 1t Is possible for him
10 land seem to be closed to him.
The itinerary of the French steamship
Guadeleupe, on which Castro took pas
sage from Bordeaux, includes stops sue
cessively at Port Of Spain Trinidad.
which 1s British territory: at Cumanao
and La Guayra. Venezuelan territory:
Baranquilla. Colombian territory. and
Colon, pseudo United States territory.
Great Britain has denied Castro per-
mission to land at Trinidad, and there
are many excellent reasons why he may
not deem ii expedient to visit Vene-
zuela under present conditions. Castro
never was popular with the United
States authorities. Therefore, he may
feel some hesitation in going to Colon
Apparently the only port open to him
on his present voyage is BaranQuilla
ana there may be reasons why he would
not hnd welcome on Colombian soil
Under these circumstances the fur
1her progress OF the DISTINGUISHED out
cast will be watched with more than or
binary interest. There Ia evidently some
understanding among the governments
interested as to the course to be followed
IN this case What this course Is, how
ever. Is a state secret and may become
known only through developments.
Done to Help Gomez.
Although 1t Is not admitted at the
State Department that this government
requested that Castro be refused permis-
sion to land in Trinidad. 1t Is very evil
dent that the officials there are we'll
aware that such action had been deter
mined upon. 1t is conceded. also. that
the action is decidedly to the interest of
the present administration in Venezuela
Port of Spain is said to be the headquar-
ters Of Venezuelan malcontents, and Cas-
tros arrival there would undoubtedly
lead to political agitation. If not to a
genuine movement against the Gomez
administration.
AS Castro is to be detained on board
the French steamer until Ii arrives in
Venezuelan territory there is general GU
riosity as to what course of action the
Venezuelan government will take with
respect to him. In the absence of definite
Information on the subject the impres-
sion prevails I'm some quarters that Cas-
tro IL being led into a trap from which
he cannot possibly escape. 1t is repre-
sented that If Castro does not voluntarily
land at Cumanao or La Guayra he NAV
be summsrily arrested at either one OF
those ports and placed in jail for trial
on some one of the many charges that
have been made against him.
In a Serious Predicament.
Under international law Castro is said
to be amenable to Venezuelan jurisdic-
.ton for criminal proceedings whenever
he is in Venezuelan territory. regardless
OF his being passenger on a foreign
steamship. Ii is asserted that ii would
be the duty of the French captain of the
merchant steamer to surrender Castro to
the Venezuelan authorities on the presen-
tation Of proper papers showing that the
had been legally indicted for a crimina
ofYense. Such action would not be pos
sible. however. in a civil action.
Regardless OF what Venezuela proposes
TO do in the matter. il is beyond question
that Castro H. in serious predicament
with the chances strongly against him.