OCR Text |
Show VENEZUELA IS CETTINC READY Troops are Being Enlisted by Castro to Engage in War With France. Castro Is Unpopular With His Countrymen, Coun-trymen, However, and Many Will Desert as Soon as French Blockade Is Declared. Wlllemstnd, Island of Curacoa. A traveler who arrived here from Venezuela Vene-zuela said: "President Castro Is busily engnged in enlisting throughout tho republic nnd In other wnys preparing ror war.! Generals in each stnto have been commissioned com-missioned and orders havo been given1 to call tho recruits to tho colors. "Information from tho best sources indicates that tho people do not support sup-port President Castro. On all sides aro heard expressions of a desire to revolt nnd overthrow the president's' government ns soon ns tho French blockade is declared. "A welMntormcd Venezuelan told mo that tho troops will desert their colors, as thoy havo all been compelled com-pelled to Join the nrmy, voluntary enlistments en-listments being unknown in Venezuela. Venezu-ela. Puerto Cabcllo and Lagualra nrd the only ports cnpablo or making a slight defense. Tho former hns twd modern six-Inch guns and the Litter has four modern six-Inch guns, with tho usual display ot old Spanish pieooj which would bo blown to pieces at tho first shots. "It is doubted whether President Castro can raise more than 1G.000 men who will tako tho field with any show' ot spirit. Tho men nro armed with Mnuscr rifles, but they never prnctlcd shooting. Thoy havo twenty million: rounds of ball cartridges and a few1 mountain guns. Tho Venezuelan navy .consists ot five small crnft concentrated concentrat-ed at Lagualra. |