New-York tribune., 1911-02-28

leadership, for so great was Castros un-
popularity and so general the national
uprising against him that with leader
Of any ability the revolution. nearly sue
cesstul as " was. must have inevitably
been completely go. The result was.
however. that Mstos failed misersbly
and fed to France. where he lived in
exile until Castro's exclusion from
Venezuela and Gomez's accession 10 the
Presidency two years ago. Then, under
the recall Of the eyiles, Matos returned
70 his native land. and in the final turn
Of the political wheels last year he re-
volved 10 the top again as Minister for
Foreign Affairs
Ihls, then, is the man whose influence
is being, and will continue 70 be. exerted
10 nullfy all the efforts Of the American
state Department toward increa sing and
strengthening the commercial relations
Of the United States with Venezuela.
Mstos's predictions arc altogether
on the boulevards, he is thoroughly Gal
lie in manner speech and attire. and
II is the effort Of his policy to develop
q Venezuelan French entente 10 combat
the natural development Of closer trade
relations with the United states While
not outspokenlv snti-American, as vas
Castro for example Cfor Mstos is too
diplomatic 70 give open cause for criti-
Cism of his policies. he is not less posi-
tive I'm his dislike Of the "Yanqus" and
not less determined 10 prevent, so far a $
| lies in his power, any increase ~ Areri-
can interest or influence on the soil of
! Venezuela
Federation HostiI. 70 United States.
Just now Matos is engaged in a Chi
neriCal project for 2 pseudo federation
of the nations liberated by Bolivar
Venezuela. Colombia. Ecuador and
/ Peru-nto 2 sentimental oonfedsrscy Of
/ some sort. and hn has induced General
| Gomez 10 consent 10 the dispatch Of
/ envoys To these several countries to ne
| gotiste the project II is perfectly GER
/ tain that IL is no part If Matos's pur-
| pose in this scheme to increase relations
/ with North America and II is equally
| certain that whatever he can do to
| separate the allied countries in SYM
pathv from the United States will surely
he done.
| or what avail are the efforts Of Sec
retarv Knox and the managers Of the
| Pan American Union AT Washington TO
| improve Latin-American trade relations
! by means Of the recent conference at the
| capital. when these efforts are deliberate
/ Is set AZ naught by the presence in the
Foreign Office At Caracas of man
known n ho hostile n the cultivation
| % closer relations between the two Coun-
| tries? The very astimshle gentleman
. who represents Venezuela at Washing
I ton. Dr. Roias. unquestionably q warm
/ friend of the United States and desirous
/ of seeing the relations between that ma
tion and his own increasingly intimate,
| can DO nothing permanently to insure
! that result So long a his chief AT Car
! scas is everting in the very councils or
| President Gomez an anti-Americsn in
| 1uenCe and a distinctly antiAmerican
| policy.
RESPONSIBILITY Rests on Gomez.
There are statesmen here who appre-
/ ciate the Importance Of cultivating be-
| tween this country and the United States
/ the closest and most harmonious rela-
/ tions possible. who know that in Venez-
uels's international difficulties II is
/ the United states that has ever been her
| friend. and who realize that with the
/ orening of the canal Al Panama there
| will be trade opportunities Of vastly in
/ crea sed value and importance between
the two countries But these men are
not the ones that to-day have the ear
/ OF President Gomez or from whom ne
takes counsel II 70 the men Of the
Maf0s stripo that are now influential
l in the government Of Venezuela, and so
far as lies m their power will their in
/ AuenCa he eXerted To prevent and cir
/ cun1vent the very things that the Ameri-
can State Department is lahorlns SO
earnestly and consistently 10 accomplish
Unless the government Of General
! Gomez wishes 10 he known as avoVedly
/ anti American. unless ~ wishes 70 he
arrayed with the insignificant minority
that resists the friendly overtures of the
Washington government. II should speed
iIv change its recent attitude and give
| evidence of the change by discarding
/ such reactionarv statesmen as Mstos
and his kind. for whose acts and policies,
/ even though he does not share them him
self. General Gomez must certainly as
| eume responsibility,