Fears Crisis Soon In Vexed Venezuela.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 25, 1913:
Hernandez Is Ready to Lead a Revolt Against Gen. Gomez.
HE TELLS OF PERSECUTION
Seven Members of the Council Targets for the President's Attacks — Censorship Now In Force.
    Gen. Jose Manuel Hernandez, known as El Mocha, a Venezuelan exile, who seeks to succeed Gen. Gomez as President of that country, thinks that the reason the Venezuelan Government has established a strict censorship is that the political affairs of the nation have reached a crisis. Before the censorship was made absolute, word was received that Gen. Juan Vicente Gomez, President of the country, had driven several members of the Council of Government from Venezuela and had placed others in prison. No later telegrams regarding the political situation have been received, which, according to Gen. Hernandez, indicates either that the administration has taken violent measures against its enemies or that the Venezuelans have arisen in rebellion.
    Gen. Hernandez, who is staying at the Hotel Empire, received word on Friday that two of the ten members of the Council of Government had been imprisoned by Gen. Gomez. These were Gen. Alejandro Ybarra and Gen. Ramon Ayala, ex-Vice President of Venezuela.
    Gen. Hernandez is the leader of the Nationalist Party in Venezuela. He has been away from the country for four years and practically is a refugee. He is planning to start for Venezuela as soon as the time is ripe for leading a revolt against Gen. Gomez.
    "The cause of the present trouble," he said yesterday, "was the act of Gen. Gomez in signing a treaty with France without first submitting it, as required by the constitution, to the Council of Government. Gen. Castro in 1905 broke off the relations of Venezuela with all other nations. Treaties resuming friendly terms have since been arranged with all countries except France. The French claims were excessive and have been opposed almost unanimously by Venezuelans. In February, however, Gomez and the French Ambassador framed a treaty and Gomez signed it. This did not become known until a month and a half later, when Gomez presented it to the Council of Government.
    "The constitution forbids the President to sign a treaty until it has been approved by the Council. His act aroused great excitement. Seven of the ten members of the Council voted against the treaty. Gen. Gomez at once began a persecution of the seven, and now all are either in prison or have left the country. Scores of men of prominence who have opposed the treaty have been imprisoned on false charges. So much is known. It looks even blacker now that the strict censorship has been established. Either the Government is waging bitter warfare on the opposition or a revolt to free the country from tyranny has begun.
    "The treaty with France has been submitted to Congress for ratification. The upper chamber has approved it and the lower one will do so. Congress is completely servile to the President.
    "Of course, there is much discontent over other matters. The deep-seated trouble wt the Government is graft. Every business man who starts any great enterprise in Venezuela must take some politician as a partner. Tobacco, for instance, is a Government monopoly, but the supply from the Government factories is handled by a private company controlled by a politician.
    "A great cause of dissatisfaction with Gomez is the belief that he will attempt to set aside the Constitution, which limits the President to a single term of four years. The next election will occur on April 19, 1914. It is apparent that an effort will be made to amend the Constitution, so as to give Gomez another election, or possibly to make him a ruler for life.
    "The Presidents of the ten Venezuelan States have recently sent letters of congratulation to Gomez and to the official newspaper, felicitating the country upon its prosperity under Gomez, and intimating that it will be a cause of rejoicing if he should continue in office.
    "The President of Venezuela now nominates the members of Congress. He also names the Governors of the States, the Judges, and other officers. Although these men are all practically his own appointees, Gomes has found it almost impossible to find men who will support him in his high-handed and tyrannical course. In the last few months he has repeatedly removed members of his Cabinet, Judges, and other officers in order to name men more servile.
    "There is a standing army of about 5,000 men. The President has power to draft practically all able-bodied men for his army in time of need. The use of this power to suppress popular movements has been one of the bitterest causes of complaint."
    Gen. Hernandez has been in communication with the Venezuelan political exiles in this country and in other South American States, and is corresponding secretly with friends in Venezuela. He seeks support by promises to establish free elections and a representative government patterned after that of the United States. There is no prospect, he says, for accomplishing reforms in his native country by peaceful revolution.
    Hernandez is 59 years old, and has been concerned in the political tumults of his country since he was seventeen years old. At that age, he was an insurgent against President Bianco, and lost two fingers of his right hand by the slash of a machette in one of the battles. This wound has given him the name of "El Mocha," or "the maimed." Since then he has taken part in more wars than he can count, and has been wounded seven more times. He describes himself as a conservative and an advocate of peace.