New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-17

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT
PERMITS NO ELECTIONS
Constitution Provides for Their
Being Held This Week, but
Executive Steps In.
POLITICAL LEGERDEMAlN
Trick Played by Castro to Per-
petuate Himself in Office
Coolly Repeated by
His Successor.
POLITICAL LEGERDEMAlN


w.sbinotor Sept. ia cable message
received I'm this city to-day indicates INC
axistence of a new situation In Venezuela
which is expected to harass the govern
mcnt OF President Juan vicente Gomez
far more than did the recent Castro IN
surrection. This message SAID that lhe
elections for members of Congress, Which
the constitution OF Venezuela proVioes
shall take place I'm the week peglnihhs
Septenbcr u. which was last SUNDAY
have not been held and are not likely no"
IN talSe Mace. The Congress that was 10
no chosen this year would have neeh
called upon TO elect President he~'
April To succeed President Gomez. NJ
ARRANGEMENT having been made FOR the
Congressional election. there can oe no
election for President next April WHEN
means. Of course. that the present IN
cumbent will continue in office regardless
of constitutional provisions.
This IL the situation which The Tribune
indicated on August . and again on
August o. would follow the action OF
President Gomez In declaring himself dic'
tator and suspending the constitution III
order that he might suppress the reVoiu-
zion headed by General Cipriano Castro.
former President who. IL was reported
was irving 10 regain his old office. But IL
has h, en- learned that General castro was
not I'm Venezuela. and IL has since oeeh
nroyod that no one was better aware OF
,bi, fact than the members OF the Gomez
government In Caracas. However tnere
was mothod-unusual though IL "as-u"
the action Of President Gomez IN usihs
the pretext Of an alleged Castro move
rent as one which was important enough
Ia call out the whole Venezuelan arm, ,
with General Gomez az It's head. denera'
Gomez wanted 10 continue In ONCE. ne
constitution f9rbids two consecutive
terms hence the alarm over the castro
INVASION and the suspension OF the con
stitu,ion. The revolution" was quickly
suppressed" and castro was not there
But the purpose OF President Gomez
was served-that is. with the consutu-
ton temporarily out OF commission there
could be. and has been. no election Tor
tho Congress that was 10 elect he"
President. Result: General Gomez VIII
succeed himself a 9 soon as he restores the
constitution to lie normal functions lie
turns tho trick as simply as Castro did II
when deciding to continue another four
wears I'm the Presidency
The state Department had notice almost
a month ago Of what was going 10 nap
pen. General Jose Manuel Hernandez 'bi
Mochol. leader Or the Nationalist party In
Venezuela came TO Washington from
New York ana pointed out that General
Gomez. by his act In multiplying the laws
OF the country on the preteXt that the
government was endangered by an armed
revolt was manufacturing trouble. Gen
eral Hernandez made no secret OF the
fact that he had ambitions that might In
given circumstances lean toward the
Presidency. lie sought 10 justify these
by demonstrating that the Nationalist
party represented n large part OF the or
ranlzcd citizenship OF Venezuela who
wanted fair election for the Presidency
and who believed that their leader would
be chosen as Chief Executive. General
Hernandez has been in many battles, but
he was unwilling TO enter into another un-
less the Gomez government precipitated
IT. as he put Il. He insisted that the cf-
fort Of Gomez to perpetuate himself In
Office would bring about a more serious
instruction than the Castro revolution
for the followers of ri Mocho" would in
sist that he return there and lead them
In aght against General Gomez Gen
eral Hernandez professed TO prepare the
state Department officials for what he
was sure would happen. IL has happened,
and developments may now be expected
In which General Hernandez will figure.
General Hernandez. who IS staying ri
the Hotel Empire. In this city. refused
last night TO comment on the foregoing
dispatch except 10 say that II WAS cor
rect I'm every detail. He added that he
did not wish this statement To apply TO
his reported intentions, which he would
prefer not to indicate at this time.