The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-18
SANTO DOMINGO AND SANTANA
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The island which lies DetWeen Oupo AIT
Porto Rico Is generally known as tho islanc
Of Santo Domingo, although the republic
Of Hayti occupies nearly one-third OF III
area. From It's discovery by Columbus
on Dec. 9, 14s2 until the present time. II
has had q stormy history, and many OF the
pages Of that history are deeply stained
with blood. Palatable or not as It may be
10 individual citizens Of the United States
no era Of permanent peace can be looked
for In Santo Domingo until IN some way
the relation Of this Government to her al
| fairs becomes more direct.
Thirty-two years ago the Dominicana
,, sought annexation to the United States
and President Grant did all that lay In his
power to give effect to their desires, but
failed to secure the necessary support OF
two-thirds Of the Senate. The reasons
given by Gen. Grant for his position In the
matter included his convictions a. to the
strategic value OF the island to us and as
to its potential commercial value. Upon
both Of these propositions II Is now seen
that he was unquestionably correct.
Nearly sixty years ago a writer declared
SANTANA Bay, on the eastern coast OF the
island. to be 1one Of those maritime posi-
tons that are encountered only In two or
three places in the world 1t is not only
the military key, but the commercial key
to this part OF the world" It forms a
generally rectangular indentation In the
shore line, extending westward from Balan-
dra Head some twenty-five miles and hav-
ing an average width Of some twelve or
thirteen miles. Its actual entrance Is mar
row, about mile in width, following closely
along the northern shore while the re-
mainder Of the opening is effectively closed
to navigation, for anything except the
smallest Of vessels, by broad area Of shoals
and breakers. Along it's northern border,
within a short point blank range Of the
channel, there runs a range OF hills,
rough in formation and densely wooded,
from which concealed batteries could send
downward shots upon any entering vessel.
while the channel could be most effectively
mined No very great expenditure would
be required to make SANTANA Bay practically
inpregnable.
Outside the bay there lies the Mona Pas
sage II you take q map Of the Atlantic
Ocean and lay ruler from European ports
to the Isthmus OF Panama, the line will be
seen to strike almost directly through the
Mona Passage. The Windward Passage,
between Cuba and Hayti, Is available for
that run, but it is out Of the direct course.
With a naval base ut Guantanamo, the
United States will be virtually the master,
should need arise, Of that entrance to the
Caribbean Sea. The Mona Passage IL
not defensible from Porto Rico, either
from San Juan or from Mayaguez. In
for NJ Il Ia vvhAthnr In, ~
Of war with some foreign power, Porto Rico
would not be an element Of weakness rather
than a source Of strength. No such doubt
exists with regard to SANTANA. From its
entrance offensive operations might be
conducted with any form Of war vessel.
from battleships to torpedo boats, from
monitors to submarines. Within that en-
trance blockaded feet might lie In safety
until the crack OF doom.
In point of fertility Santo Domingo ri.
walls Cuba, and there are those who claim
superiority for the smaller island. It's
possible products are those Of all the West
Indies: sugar, tobacco, coffee, cocoa, In
digo, fruits and vegetables. Any Of these
the soil of the island will yield with the
slightest Of encouragement. Several mill
lions Of acres lie wild and useless for lack
Of clltivators and facilities for transport
tation Of products. With established peace
and order, few railways and few good
highways. and fairly industrious popu-
lation. Santo Domingo might we'll become
a source Of vast wealth, the abode of abund-
ance and place Of endlessly comfortable
residence.
For about one-half Of the period which
hos al cod oip<o tho oif ot tim Of ho
ton Of annexation to the United States,
Santo Domingo has enjoyed an era Of COM
parative peace. This was due to the forceful
personality of Gen. Ulises Heureaux, its Presi-
dent, who was assassnated on July 20, 1890.
In a certain way marked similarity ap-
pears between Heureaux and his distin-
guished predecessor Of a century earlier,
Toussaint LOuverture. Both were blacks:
both were strong, dominant and domineer-
ing; both ruled with iron hand Heureaux
maintained peace in the island, but mere
peace maintained by military despotism
is not in itself usually conducive to in
dustrial progress and prosperity. crimi-
nal element may be kept from crime by
police force, but 1t does not follow that
it will thereby be transformed into an
industrious and progressive social factor
Santo Domingo made little real progress
and displayed only a slow and uncertain de-
velopment under Heureau1. Since his
death her days have again been days OF
trouble, strife and revolution. She is to-
day virtually a bankrupt nation OF i'm
poverished people, with no assurance what
ever within herself Of political stability.
Her great need is not the application Of the
iron hand 30 much as 1t Is the menace Of it
the ever-impending certainty that misbe-
havior will meet with punishment. Her
people are not naturally turbulent. On
the contrary, the great mass OF the Do
minicans are emphatically peaceful peo-
pie. DESTROYS Of peaceful conditions and
only dragged into disturbance by the strife
of political demagogues and the discomfort
which almost inevitably follows oppressive
economic conditions.
As British colony Santo Domingo would
repeat the experience Of Jamaica. As a
wisely administered dependency Of the
United States, with such trade relations as
exist between the United States and Porto
Rico, the island would speedily become worth
vastly more to this country, politically,
and strategcally, than Porto
Rico is ever likely to be
The Dominican situation is acute and may
soon, perhaps must, reach a crisis in which
foreign intervention will become inevitable,