The National tribune., 1892-10-13
was greater than was carried by the defendant
companies to either tho Republican OF Demo
cratic Convention.
THE SAN DOMINGO TREATY,
Efforts Being Made by European Powers to
Have 1t Advocated

49, oEfas - ""ANNS hElAl
Efforts Being Made by European Powers to
Have 1t Abrogated.
The Governments Of Great Britain France,
Germany, and Italy are endeavoring to coerce
the Republic of San Domingo into abrogating
| its commercial treaty with the United States.
Will they succeed +? is a question which is at
the present time worrying State Department
officials and is one they cannot rs yet answer.
Tho Republic of San Domingo is likely to saf-
fer, whether they abrogate the treaty with
this country or not, as they are now between
two fires. President Henreaux is placed in q
very embarrassing position, and one from
which he would gladly extricate himself; but
thus far he has not succeeded
The story of the persecution OF tho "Black
Republic" by tie European powers mentioned
for persecution the State Department officials
call it's all interesting one, and dates back
one year, when negotiations looking to the
ratification Of the reciprocity treaty between
that country and the United States were con-
cludsd. Tho European powers mentioned
above followed these negotiations with a jeal-
Gus eye, as they were the only countries out
side of tho United States which had any con-
siderable commerce with tho island, aud it was
very manifest that the adoption Of such favor
able treaty would give our country a practical
monopoly Of San Domingo's import trade These
Nations at first protested individually, and sub
sequently united in 4 joint protest, and argued
that under their respective treaties with San
Domingo each was to be placed q similar
footing to that enjoyed by any other Nation
with whom the Republic might form treaty.
TO this the Dominican Government replied
that the only exception was in favor of the
United States, and this was due to the fact that
over one Laif Of their trade was with this coun-
try, and that their refusal to give the United
States these advantages would shut off their
knt Fn hiIa9
their principal expectations. These European
Governments still continued their protesta-
lions, and San Domingo's President referred
tho whole matter to our Government, and he
furnished Secretary Of State Foster with copies
of the correspondence between himself and tho
protesting Governments. and asked Gen. Har-
risons Administration if it could not assist him
to escape from the situation in which he was
placed.
The reply of the Government in substance
was that we could not agree that the European
nations in question thould be placed on the
same footing with US, nor would we permit
any abrogation of the treaty, except that it be
followed by rcimpostion of the duties on
San DominSo's expectations. This reply of our
Government WAS laid before the protesting
European Governments, which had the effect
of silencing for time all these nations but
Germany, which nation was still obdurate, and
insisted that they had been compelled to make
concessions to us i'll return for market in this
country for their beet sugar, and that they
were now mpaed the other horn of the
dilemma, by the discrimination in our favor by
San Domingo. President Henreaux not acced-
ing to Germany's request, the German foreign
Office determined to retaliate upon San Do
mingo by imposing a practically prohibitory
tariff upon their tobacco. This threat is the
more effective, because Germany is tho prin-
cipal consumer OF the tobacco raised on that
island and it added new embarrassment to
President Henreauxs position, rs the two
Provinces in which tobacco is grown showed
signs of discomfort and mutterings of revolu-
ton were heard. There the matter stands at
present
After all, this tempest in teapot over the
concessions granted by the Dominican Govern
ment to the United States seems to DO rather
an absurd affair. The entire export and i'm
port trade Of San Domingo does not exceed
81, 500 900 annually. Of this amount, prior to
our present treaty, 100000 was expended
with the United States alone, leaving about
81, 800 600 with the rest of the world Since
the treaty went into effect our exports to San
Domingo have increased something like $780,
900, which has been principally at the expense
of Great Britain and the continental countries.