The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-25

L Status - DCIOlll-
ing a question of moment. Since Com
mander McCrea took steps to prevent
interference with the worlds commerce
as result of the civil war there, the
interrogation mark is a big one. For
eign nations are asking what next? and
| for a wonder are not sneering at the
| United States or its motives. They
know that there is a worlds commerce
ed peacefully Without peace there can
be no development, and even with it in
the past there has not been much prog
ress.
Less than a year ago it was reported
that Germany and Haiti had signed a
treaty which practically established a
German protectorate, and the question
was raised-what would become Of the
Monroe doctrine. No immediate an
swer was needed. If the treaty actually
was signed it was lost somewhere and
Germany has been the first to make
known her thanks for the drastic &C
ton of the United States naval force.
It is now perfectly understood that the
American war ships in Haitian waters
are the paramount influence, and that
settles any query about the Monroe doc
trine.
PROPOSED CENTENNIAL CELE-
BRATION.
But the future is pregnant one.
Months ago a Haitian official identified
with the administration of President
Sam, told me that Haiti, within a couple
of years, was to have centennial cele-
bration. 1t was going to celebrate the
abandonment of the attempt to recon-
quer the island by the French forces,
who were recalled by Napoleon. This
was in December, 1903, and the Haitian
declaration of independence was pro-
mulgated bv Dessalines on January l.,
1904. The Haitian official who told me
of the proposed celebration remarked,
with some doubt I'VE will have a
centenary if we have peace" There
was a good deal of pathos in his eff -
1t is still fifteen months until the time
which would be the centennial anniver-
sary and it may be that within that period
the civil war will be ended and stable
government established. Whether this
can be done without outside aid, moral
or physical, is the question What the
European countries are asking is, how
long the United States is going to let
the state of anarchy continue. To them
the armed Intervention in the case of
Cuba supplies the precedent. 1t is use
less to argue with them that the cases
are not similar. You will have to do It"
is what every diplomatic representative
of the European countries in the West
Indies says.
POLICE DUTY FOR THE UNITED
STATES.
Naval officers and diplomatic and con-
sular officials. who have had experiences
in these internal broilS in the reighbor-
ing tropical countries, do not receive
this word cheerfully While they shud-
der at the civil warfare and while they
know how these countries are kept be-
hind in the march of progress they
dread any attempt of the United States
to do police duty Most of them off
hand would say that anarchy is better
than for the United States to get mixed
up with tropical American politics. They
know also that if it seems to lean to
either faction it accepts a moral respon-
sibility for the administration OF that
faction on coming into power and they
recollect how quickly gratitude ceases
and how thoroughly the successful party
becomes anti-American.
Once in Haiti the United States was
charged with leaning toward one of the
parties in the civil war that was raging.
This was during the administration Of
President Harrison. The government OF
Legitime was overthrow and that OF
Hyppolite set up. 1t was alleged that
General Hyppo1ite was willing to cede
Mole St Nicholas, or at least to lease It.