Show MAKES SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST DICTATOR CASTRO Asphalt Company Justifies Its Attempt Ito I-to Overthrow the Venezuelan Government Now York Allegations that high officials In the Venezuelan govern Front Including President Castro do Iborately attempted to extort from ho company the sum of 400000 are made In a statement given out Sun day by tho Now York Bormililcz Asphalt company In reference to Uio suit brought by tho Venezuelan government gov-ernment for 11000000 damages for aiding In the Matos rebellion The means used by theso ofllclale according to the allegation Included blackmail confiscation of the com panys property the manufacture of false testimony and tho making of de rees without regard to law The allegations al-legations made In the statement are base upon the matters which It Is declared were received from A P Carner now receiver holding tho companys property for the Vonozue Ian government but who In 1JOO was the companys agent at Caracas and the representative of Colonel Victor M Backus who was sent to Venezuela Vene-zuela In 1900 as an Independent agent by the asphalt company Tho statement state-ment concludes with an exhaustive review re-view of what It describes as tho asphalt as-phalt companys actual relations to the revolution In this connection It Is explained that 100000 was given to General Matos by tho officials of the National Asphalt company on the generals request re-quest Further sums aggregating 30000 were paid tho statement says to guarantee protection of the com panys property at a time when the territory In which the companys property prop-erty Is located was In the control of the revolutionists The statement maintains that the company at all times observed absolute neutrality even going to the extent of paying customs duties to both the government govern-ment and revolutionists when the custom cus-tom houses were controlled by tho insurgents in-surgents |