The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-27
REVOLUTIONARY STATES AND
QUESTIONS.

Central and South American republics
have given the rest of the world a lot OF
trouble for many years and are likely to
about as steady as any that their fertile
soils produce. There is not much danger
Of shortage in international questions or
of the Geneva arbitration tribunal falling.
into innocuous desuetude as long as the
Latin-American republics continue to do
business on, revolutionary basis. The
Russian government has been wittily char
acterized as a despotism tempered by as
sassination; those of South and Central
America are republics modified by revolu-
tions
There is end to the questions which
these revolutions raise for adjustment,
either by force or diplomacy. Some of them
grow out Of the prevalent idea with those
governments that aliens and resident for
eigners have no rights of person or prop
erty which they bound to respect, and
others grow out of their favorite practice
Of borrowing money and Issuing bonds with
out any intention Of ever redeeming them.
Another favorite practice is that of making
concessions and contracts for a consider
alton. and then, when the notion takes them,
abrogating the concessions by revolution.
From the Latin-American point of view
this seems to be regarded as quite the
proper thing. but it is apt to lead to un-
pleasant complications with governments
which think that contracts are made to be
kept
Just now Great Britain is pressing
claim against Panama growing out of an
old Colombian loan, and the United States
Is likely to have one against San Domingo
on account of the avowed purpose of the
new revolutionary government to repudiate
all engagements and concessions made by
the old one. The British claim against
Panama dates back to 1922, when Colon
bia issued a foreign loan of ST., 100000 to
prosecute her war for independence, fol-
lowing it IN 1924 by a further loan of s24,-
100000 for the same purpose. British CAPT.
talists should have known better than to
take these bonds, but they did it, and the
sacred obligations have become still more
sacred by age. being still unpaid after
nearly eighty years. Now that Panama
has seeded and Is likely to become fnan-
cially independent Great Britain claims that
she shall assume part of the old debt.
Panama denies the equity of the claim,
and there is likely to be long contro-
versy over it.
1t is doubtful If the British claim will
hold good. The general rule of inter-
national law Is that when a seeding or
revolving province gains its independence
it Is free from all liability on account of
the indebtedness of the government against
which 1t has revolted. At the end of the
revolutionary war no attempt was made
to saddle any part Of the British debt on
the States, and the matter was not even
that creditors on either side shall meet
with no lawful impeachment to the securing
of the full value. in sterling money, of
all bona fide debts heretofore contracted %
Notwithstanding this many debts owed by
Americans to British creditors were repu-
wiped them out. 1t was not an honorable
nor an honest proposition. The case of
Colombia and Panama is different, and
there is no just ground for saddling part
of the Colombian debt on Panama. At the
close Of our war with Spain the latter tried
very hard to make Cuba assume the bonded
Indebtedness claimed to have been created
on her account, but the United States would
not have it so. Not a dollar Of the debt
was fastened on Cuba. The case of San Do
| mingo is still different That is not case
of secession or independence. but Of one
government succeeding another by revo-
luton. In that case the new government
is clearly responsible FOR the debts and
contracts of the old one
1t is probable the Latin-American states
will continue to furnish international ques-
tons of this kind for settlement as long
as they exist. Their fondness for revo-
lutions will give diplomatists and inter-
national lawyers perpetual employment.