Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-04-13
CLEVER DOMINGO
CHANGE RIVER COURSES FOR
NEW BOUNDARY LINES.
STEALING HAyTIEN TERRITORY
The Boldest Highway Robbery on
Record-Likely to End in Restl-
tucion or War.

Kingston. Jamaica, April 4.-(Corre-
snondence of the Associates. Press. 1.-The
following statement of the causes lead
ing up to the recently developed bound
ary trouble between the republic of Hayti
and Santo Domingo and of the present
condition of affairs, is furnished by per-
sons Just returned from the island:
What is known as the Dominican re-
pubic or Santo Domingo, was once
province of the republic of Hayti. In
1874 the internal troubles and state OF
anarchy which then prevailed, as re-
suit of revolution which overthrow the
government of President Boyer after 70
years in office. facilitated matters and
was the cause of the secession of the
eastern portion Of the island. which pro-
claimed its independence. The existence
of the new republic was recognized by
the Haytian government in 1876.
The questions of delimitation of the
frontiers arose naturally from the fact
that the territory of the Dominican re-
public is not. and never has been, de-
fined. This important and delicate ques-
ton was finally by mutual consent, sub
mitted to the arbitration of his holiness,
Pope Leo XIII. In consequences of ger
tain points raised as to the powers ac-
corded his holiness, the two govern
ments (then presided over by General
Simon Sam and Ulysses Heureux, sign
ed convention by which it was agreed
to appoint a mixed Haytien- dominican
commission to define and settle the boun-
daries between the two republics, such
boundaries to be based on the respective
positions in 1874.
The commission met at Anses- a Pitres
i,,,,,, l;,ta -,t
to work In spite Of explicit terms Of the
Sam HeureuX convention, which stipu-
lated that the uti possible It's of 1874 should
be taken as the base for the delimitation,
the Dominican commissioners openly de-
clared that they would only abide by
the provisions of this clause SO long as
ii would be favorable to their interests.
In order to explain this stand on the
part of the Dominican representatives. it
might he stated that Immediately after
the signing of the convention the Domi-
nican government has caused to be oc-
cuped several points along the disputed
frontier. which occupation the Haytiens
regarded as an encroachment upon their
territory at points from which Haytien
troops had been withdrawn in order to
facilitate an amcable settlement of the
DISPUTE.
In the end this mixed commission sep
arated without having improved the sit
uaton.
The incident which recently occurred at
Philobert, on the northern frontier and
which greatly endangers the friendly re-
lations of the sister republics is consd-
cred by the Haytens to be premeditated
provOcation on the part of the Domini-
cans. The Haytien posts established in
that district to put down smuggling and
brgandage from over the border have
had to defend themselves against repeat
ed attacks.
By mutual consent the river Massacre,
which divides the Dominican province
Of Dajabon from Haytien territory, has
FOR a long time been professionally &C
cepted by both governments as the ma
tural boundary of the two states. All
the country on the right bank of the
river was acknowledged to belong to
Santo Domingo, whilst the country on the
eft bank was regarded by both govern
nents as Hayten territory. And here
by hangs a funny and interesting idea
knowing that nature sometimes makes
'ivers in the tropics change their courses,
t occurred to some people residing on
he right bank of the stream that they
might add considerably to Dominican
territory if they could manage to eff
eect diversion of the stream No sooner
was it thought than attempted Trunks
Of trees We're repeatedly rolled into the
river. This, the Haytiens say. was done
with the knowledge and connivance of
the Dominican government. But up to