The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-03-01
San DoMlEGo AFFAIRS.
The Protectorate Created by Pres
ident Will Cause Trouble.
The Treaty Making the Plans of the
President Effective Will Meet With
Strong Opposition in the Senate.


President Effective Will Meet With
Strong Opposition in the Senate.
Washington, Feb. 25.-'There are
breakers ahead of the San Domingo
treaty, in the estimation of leading
Democratic Senators, who declare that
had not the Senate so recently op-
posed the Presidents wish by amend
ing the several arbitration treaties,
despite his vigorous protests, major
ity of Republican Senators would vote
against the San Dominan, protocol.
That some Republicans may do this
seems extremely likely, among them
Mr.. Hale of Maine, who is above all
else conservative, who did not hesi-
tate to oppose the Spanish War to the
last ditch and who also opposed the
ACQUISITION OF. the Philippines, for a
time. A very serious problem is pre-
sented by the San DOMINICAN agree
ment. In the estimation OF many
Senators its approval would lead to
period of "frenzied finance in the
South American republics inan-
ciers. confident that eventually they
could prevail upon the United States
to compel the payment of their loans
would lend the improvident South
Americans abundant funds, at exhor-,
bitant rates Of interest. and their
profers of cash would be promptly ac-
cepted. Later. VIXEN the day of reck-
oning came, European nations would
cali the attention cf the United
States to the San DOMINICAN precedent,
drop a significant remark, or two re-
garding the probable necessity of their.
using force to protect the interests OF
their citizens, creditors of the South!
American republics, and then ! this;
country would be compelled to step
in again and again and play the roll!
of receiver for its ifsolyent neighborsi
to the South. Such programme.
would call for large navy, an in.
creased marine corps and other ex-l
pensiye outlays, for which there would
be no possible way of collecting from
the South American nations or their;
foreign creditors.
In the case of San Domingo it is:
pointed out that hardly more than one
fourth of the sums for which that un-i
fortunate and spendthrift country has.
obligated ITSELF were ever advanced to-
it in actual cash. Loans Of million
dollars were made on which the "pre-;;
MUM, amounted to fifty per cent.
more, and the interest was fixed at
from 5 per cent. month upwards and
compounded each month. OF course,
the San DOMINICAN protocol provides
tha0 the. United States shall have;
power to. adjudicate all claims, but
I that OF itself IS likely to prove an al
most interminable task and, may pro-.
woke as hard feelings among European
creditor nations as would direct re-
fusal either to interfere or to permit
them to exert force.
It is still toe early to make any de.
finite predictions, although present ap4
pearences are that the convention will
|. ultimately be ratified after being
T mater ally amended: "A long and
very serious debate is certain, bow
ever, and it is not impossible that GER
| tain amendments may be incorporated
in tha treaty with the hope of making
it ineffective as a precedent to which
I European nations may appeal when
they have difficulty in collecting the
sums advanced by their citizens to
| their South American borrowers.
Little short of travesty on legisla-
tion wss the consideration of the
| naval appropriation bill conducted
bv the Senate committee on naval
| affairs this week. The committee occu-
! pied just an hour considering measures
which appropriate over 500, 600, 600
and the prospects are that no adequate
time will be devoted to the measure
| on the floor of the Senate. The
methods by which Congress does bust
ness are such that when a standing
committee reports measure major
ity of the members OF either house
accepts such report. for individual
members of Congress have neither
time nor the information which would
enable them to make any detailed ez-
animation of the various measures on
which they are called upon to vote.
Incidentally the President appears to
have won his fight for two battleships
despite the fact that majority of
| Congress believes further construction
| of these monster engines Of war,
which cost fabulous sums is injudlci-
Gus.
Congress has finally determined it
would seem to conduct an investiga-
tion Of The nov famous Usage Indian
oil lease. Nearly ten years ago, one
Edwin B. Foster was granted with
the approval of the Secretary of the
Interior, a blanket lease covering l.,
800, coo acres of land presumed to con-
tain Oil with the provision that Foster,