The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-12-29
AMERICA DEF|ED
BY VENEZUELA
At Instigation of Germans News
papers Are Suppressed and
Editors Jailed.
MUST ATTACK THE ALLIES
Only Consideration Under Which
Newspapers May Continue-Prop-
uganda Favoring Central Pow
ers Spread Over Country.

Barranquilla, Colombia-The gov
eminent of Venezuela, at the instiga-
ton of German commercial interests
Is openly campaigning for the central
powers by suppressing pro-ally news.
papers and putting their editors and
directors in prison without any expla.
nation. In this manner was suppress
ed Ell Fonografo (the Photography of
Caracas, and at the same time the sup
preston was ordered of the paper of
the same name in Maracaibo, state
of Zulia, on it's thirty-eighth anniver-
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 per-
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
Ell FonografO, on the ground that Ell
Eco Aleman (the German Echo) 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 IguiIdad Equality of Ciudad
Bolivar, and made Ell Correo de la
Tarde AFTERNOON MaiD of the same
city, German propagandist newspa-
per, its official organ.
FL Luchador Suppressed.
Later Ell Luchador (the Wrestler)
of Ciudad Bolivar, 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 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
a policy of imperialism and for that
reason was seeking to browbeat the
Latin American republics into severing
relations with Germany
This has left Ell Fonografo of Mara
caibo the only pro-ally paper in Vene-
zuela, and this solely because the CEN
trail government cannot enforce it's au-
thOrity in the extreme western state
Of Zulia, which always has been noted
for its independence and refusal to
submit to what it considers undue as
sumption of authority by the Caracas
administration. In order to insure in
IN indirect manner the suppression of
his journal, which is q thorn in the
iesh of the Germans and consequent
y of the Venezuelan government, the
after has established a prohibition
luty on paper and imposes upon all
lsers thereof the keeping of a daily |
ecord of amounts imported and con- /
umed, which is to BE- inspected by off |
ials appointed for the purpose. A re-
und Of a portion of the duties will be
lade after consumption of the paper
nder supervision of the government
or purposes satisfactory to it. This
leans that after the exhaustion of its
resent supply Of paper Ell Fonografo
annot afford to- import more and will
ave to suspend. Moreover, the gov
rnment Will not permit the stock of
aper left on hand in Caracas. when Ell
onografo of that city was suspended.
} be sent to Maracaibo for the. use of
ne paper there Of the same name and
nder the same management
German Propaganda Goes On.
While newspapers which syrnpathize
18th the allies are thus ruthlessly be-
lg suppressed by the Venezuela an gov
openly when possible. and
Y underhand means when Openness
ills, German propaganda publica-
ons are allowed and aided to carry
l, upon a large scale, a campaign Of
)use and villification OF the entente