The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-04-15
BY enez slaIi ThTo1gs as
Historic Guns Break
Long Silence.

Lug s0AltllSG.
PUERTo CARRLIo. Venezuela.
April 15.- The guns Of Castillo Dc Ia
Cabrera. commanding the eastern ex-
tremtty Of beautiful Lake Valencia,
broke the silence o. a century today
In honor Of the government that
Yrested from Spain her sole remain-
Ing possession in the New World.
The compliment is more easily, ap-
preciated when the history Of the
famous forttfcations is recalled They
Iewere built of stone in the eighteenth
century to protect the Spanish set
tiers from the Indians, In the war
of Venezuelan Independence. the
works were taken by the retolution-
lists, but because Of their historic as
sociatlons and the Unborn yeneration
for anything Spanish, the conquerors
decreed that their guns should not
speak again.
The vow was broken by common
consent, according to the Minister Of
Foreign Affairs. Generate N. A. Ma
tos. who cleyerly called upon the sec.
rotary Of state to look into the faces
of the crowd that surged about him
and judge for himself whether the
smiles and cheers were from the heart
or pre-arranged through oficial man
date.
Coming from the foreign. minister.
this had particular point, for Gen.
Mstos is recognized os a most pros
nounced 'Anti-American.'
The friendliness of the populacst;
was the feature of the diplomatic
visit in Venezuela, Thousands surged
about the secretary's carriage waving
their hats, cheering and Laughing.
more like an American crodw than
had been been met with before in the
Knox itinerary. Silence fell when he
opened his mouth. and when he had
concluded an address of which not
one in thousand had understood a
word the air rang with cheers, But
when compliments were paid in Span
ish to the United States smiles lighted
the faces of the throng.. 1t did not
take the natives long to learn the
music Of the "star spangled Banner"
and Invariably as the first bar sound
ed of came the hats, and this means
something under tropical sun.
Mr. Knox was delighted over, the
popular reception and at the conclu-
sion Of his set speech at the dinner.
given him by the president in the
Palace q Hfiraaores son the night
preceding his departure. he exclaimed
with irankness and much feeling:
Il hsdtnot supposed that there was
SO great4and generous hospitality in
Venezuela"
The dinner was. the chief function
of the visit. The eighty guests In
.cluded al high governmental officials
and the resident diplomats with their
wives. The South American minis
tiers and notably the Spanish minister.
silvio Fernandez vallln y Alfonso.
were cordial toward the whole visit.
The Cuban minister. General Iguacio
Andrade, who married a Wisconsin
woman, and the Brazilian charge, DIR.
Lucille da Cunha Bueno, were very
friendly. DR.. Jose Borda, the Colom-
bian minister. was at all the functions
and at one of the most largely at
tended affairs-the reception biven by
Minister and Mrs. Northcott, at the
United States legation-took occas-
ion to chat with Mr.. Knox on topics
in no way connected with internas
tional AFFAIRS.
At most OF the functions the presI-
dent accompanied Mr.. Knox, though
General Matos was always to the fore.
speaking for the president, who does
not command English. and directing
everything.
An affair not on the official program
and to which Mr.. Knox and Mrs
Knox, who shared the honors at ali
times with the secretary, we're not
invited, was bull fight Saturday
afternoon. Those Americans who from
curiosity looked in at the slaughter
were greeted even more boisterously
than were the matadores. and were
quite prepared for the honor when
the particular favorite of the bull
ringside, after throwing his cloak in
TO their box. announced. gfandiously,
that he was about to dispatch his
four-legged foe for the honor Of the
United States and our distinguished
guests" A moment later he was
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