The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-09
THE ISLAND OF HAITI.
Land Very Rich and Can Grow Any
thfng-PeOple Lazy.

Washington Star.
A gentleman who has lived for some
years in the West Indies. and is familiar
with the conditions in all the islands. par
ticularly in Haiti, where he spent some
time. in talking this morning, said:
1.-The proposition that the United states
shall take control of Haiti is one fraugnt
with serious embarrassments. The beet
sugar people of the West will oppose It.
and there is not the consent of the gov
erned or not governed in this case. AS
matter of fact, there is no power in the
republic and no influence strong enough TO
bring order out of the present chaos There
will be loss of life and destruction gener-
ally until the United States, in the name
of humanity, interferes. 1t takes skilled
mariner to steer between Scylla and
Charybdis, and 1t is not possible to outline
a policy. For one hundred years there
have been turmoil and confusion, govern
ment has been only semblance. and the
so-called republic has been despotism OF
the rankest sort. Now there is the most
hopeless anarchy. The navy Is lighting
the army, and there are three volunteer
armies in the field. Towns have already
been burned, and the loss of life is prob
ably much heavier than the press reports
indicate. The serious aspect of the situa-
ton lies in the fact that Intervention
establishes dangerous precedent. Jamaica
Is asking, or ABOUT ask, dnneAduOH u
the United States, and the entire West
Indies, dependent on the United States for
a market, is in a bankrupt condition be-
cause of the beet sugar bounties in Europe
and the tariff in the United States. Presi-
dent Sam of Haiti saw the storm coming
and abdicated, going to Europe with all
the funds he could get his hands on.
'All of the islands are in the same i'm
poverished condition, and, with apologies
TO the able officers now in control. Cuba is
fast approaching the same state Of help
lessness. Intervention means policy to-
ward Cuba and the other South American
republics, an extension of the Monroe doc
trine not contemplated. But the necessity
exists, and there is no remedy in the pres
ent instance but American Intervention.
Haiti is a fertile island. Nature does
all the work, and the inhabitants rest most
of the time. Sugar, coffee, tobacco, fruits
of all kinds cotton nuts and hard woods
are the products, and they grow with little
care or cultivation. There is hardly an
American agricultural product which does
not find a suitable climate in some of the
mountain heights. But corn and wheat re-
quire too much labor and little is raised.
No crops which do not mature quickly and
find an immediate market interest the peo-
pie of Haiti. Corn is planted, but cut
down I'm a month for fodder, which is al
ways in demand. The seed is imported from
the United States. also the grain
and the manufactured products of it, The
part of the island occupied by the republic
of Haiti is rather crowded. 1t occupies
one-third of the island, which has about
33,VU square miles or land, and there is q
population of something over a million.
| The per cent. of whites is so small that IL
| Is scarcely to be considered. There is a
| law prohibiting the owning of real estate
| by foreigners, and foreigners are taxed
! heavily for a license to engage in retail
business of any kind.
THE mass Of the people are of African
| descent, the descendants Of slaves brought
| to the island by the Portuguese slave
| traders many years ago. There has been
no progress since the days of Toussaint
POuverture. At the time France was al
war with England the negroes took adj
vantage of the situation and proclaimed
| the independence of the country, and since
then European power has cared TO in
terfere. Proclaiming a victory over France
| in the slight resistance offered the first
| ruler declared himself an emperor and
created dukes, barons, lords. counts and
| so on, and there was more nobility in the
| bouffe government than all of Europe His
| reign did not last long. but the same spirit
| was shown in the organization OF the
| army. which. under President Sam, had
| about 5000 officers and 1900 privates.
THE country needs strong hand TO es.
| maintain order, but IL cannot prosper until
| 1T gets market for its products. There ID
| no land tax and the revenues from the high
! tariff will not sustain all the governments
| municipal state and national. What the
| United States can do and what IL ought K
| do is hard to say. The situation is pc.
| culiar. country able TO produce almost
| all OF the products in demand in the United
| States at the least cost and with the leas
labor certainly ought not TO suffer for wan
| of a market.