The Penn's Grove record., 1917-12-28
AMERICA DEFIED
BY VENEZUELA
At lnstigation Of Germans News
papers Are Suppressed and
Editors Jailed.
MUST ATTACK THE ALLIES
Only Consideration Under Which
Newspapers May contsnue-Prop-
agsnda Favoring Central Pow
ers Spread Over Country.


Barranquilla, Colombla.-The gov
ernznent Of Venezuela, at the instsaa-
ton OF German commercial interests.
u openly campaigning for the central
powers by ~suppressing pro-ally news
papers and putting their editors and
directors in prison without any exDla-
nation. In this manner was suppress
ed Ei Fonografo (the Photography of
Caracas. and at the same time the SUM-
preston was ordered of the paper of
the same name in M~aracaIbo. state
of Zulia. on its thirty-elghth annirer
sary- The governor of that state, how
ever, refused to obey the order of the
Caracas administration, stating that
no reason existed therefor: but In Der-
hitting the paper to continue publica-
ton he counseled its editors not to
print anything offensive to the Ger
mans.
When the British minister at Carac-
as protested against the suppression Of
FL Fonografo+ on the ground that f
Eco Aleman (the German Eeho) of that
city, was allowed free rein to carry
on an extensive propaganda against
the allies, the Venezuelan government
retorted by suppressing the pro-ally pa
per La Iguildad Equality of Ciudad
Bolivar, ami matte ri Correo de Ia
Tarde AFTERNOON Mail) of the same
city, a German propagandist newspa-
per, its official organ.
81 Luchador Suppressed.
Later Ell Luchador 1.-THE Wrestler)
of Ciudad Bolivar, a newspaper of ten
years existence. the only influential
newspaper in all eastern Venezuela,
was suppressed because it reproduced
an article of an American in Venezuela
upon the policy of the United States
In Latin American countries which
had been published in pamphlet form,
and contained absolutely nothing at
which the Venezuelan government
could take offense. The article paid a
high tribute to General Gomez, which
Is necessary In any article that is
printed In a Venezuelan newspaper but
simply refuted claims printed In the
numerous German newspapers and
periodicals to the effect that the United
states government was entering upon
q policy Of Imperialism and for that
reason was seeking TO browbeat the
Latin American republics into severing
relations with Germany.
This has left FL Fonografo Of Mara
eaibo the only pro-alIy paper in vene-
zuela, and this solely because the CEN
government cannot enforce its au-
zbrity in the extreme western state
zZZulia, which always has been noted
It's independence and refusal to
Ebmit to what ii considers undue as
sumption of authority by the Caracas
administrations In order TO insure in
an indirect manner the suppression of
this journal, which is a thorn in the
flesh OF the Germans and -onsequent
" of the Venezuelan government. the
latter has established a prohibition
duty on paper and imposes upon all
users thereof the keeping of a daily
record of amounts imported and con-
sumed, which is to be inspected by Off
Gals appointed for the purpose. A re-
fund Of a portion of the duties viii be
made after consumption of the paper
under supervision of the government
for purposes satisfactory to it. This
means that after the exhaustion Of its
present supply of paper FL Fonografo
cannot afford to import more and will
have to suspend. Moreover, the gov
eminent win not permit the stock of
paper left on hand in Caracas, when Ell
Fonografo of that city was suspended.
to be sent to Maraeaibo for the use of