New-York tribune., 1905-02-17

ernrnent refused to provide for the payment oL
the American claimants In this state OF uie
IL a.s - .,,as ays6ent that a continuance Of this
treatment OF the American creators anu m LIZ rra
repetition in other cases would II alloMI e,5 ~ 90
sts course result in handing over the lsiahu 70
Turonean creditors, and in time wouio Tipe.
into serious controversies between tne itS DniteS
states and other governments unless the OHlteo
states should deliberately and finally abandon
its interests in the island
THE ARBITRAL AWARD
The inanrovement company and its allied conf
panies held besides bonds, certain oallhlIl en-. ati
railway interests in the island. The Dominican
government, desirous TO own and possess th.se ,
properties. agreed with the companies tsa. ~ Sn
&aIra of their bonds and properties was S4Joo-
600 and they submitted 10 arbitration the OUTS
fion as TO the instalments IN whlch thls sum III
should be paid and the security that shouio De
given The Hon. George Gray, Judge OF the
United States Circuit Court of Appeals ana the
Hon Manuel De ]. Galvan, both named by the
I1o,ninican Republic. and the Hon. John G. car
lisle named by the United States. were the ar
bitrators and rendered their award on July IA,
1904. BY its terms the dominican roa
was TO paw the above mentioned sum OF S4oOo-
coo with per cent interest per annum, IN
two years. and of SAL $50 &c each monthly
thereafter. beginning with the month OF sep
tember, 1904. said award TO he secured by the
customs revenues and port dues or all the ports
on the northern coast Of Santo Domingo Inc
award further provides for the appointment OIL
a financial agent of the United States VINO WI, VIZ
authorized in Of failure during any 1nohth
10 receive the sum then due to enter into pos
session of the custom house at Puerto Plata' IN
the first instance, and assume charge OF the
collection of customs dues and port dues and
10 fix and determine these duties and dues ana
.secure their payment, In case the sums collecs
led at Puerto Plata should at any time be insur-
fcient for the payment OF the amounts due
.sinder the award, or in case OF any other man
ifest necessity. or in case the Dominican gov
ernment should request, the financial agent
OF The United States authorized to have
and exercise at any and ell of the other ports
above described all the rights and powers vest
Plata
Under the award the financial agent could
only apply the revenues collected toward its
payment after he had first paid the expenses
| OF collection and certain other obligations
styled "apardos' which constituted prior
charges on the revenues assigned. These prior
charges are specified in the award.
N POSSESSION OF CUSTOM HOUSES.
The Dominican government defaulted in it's
payments; and in virtue oE the award and the
authority conferred by the Dominican govern
lYnent, and at its request, possession was dellY-
cred Of tha custom house OF Puerto Plata to the
fiscal agent appointed by the United States to
collect the revenues assigned by the arbitrators
for the payment of the award; and in virtue OF
the same authority possession Of the custom
house of Monte Cristi has also been handed
over / submit herewith report Of Mr.. John
b Moore. agent of the United states IN this
case. and copy OF the award Of arbitrators.
During the last two years the European
claimants. except the English whose interests
We're embraced in those Of the American COM
Tanies have with the support of their
spective governments, been growing more end
more Unfortunate in pressing their unsa tisfed
demands. The French and the Belgians. in
1901 had entered into contract with the Dom
3nican government hut, after a few payments
were made account, it fell into neglect
Other governments also obliged the Dominican
government to enter into arrangements of Vari-
Gus kinds by which the revenues Of the republic
were in large part sequCstrated. and under cne
Of the agreements. which concluded with
Italy in 1898 the Minister of that government
was empowered directly TO collect from the i'm
1Orfa hat of rNpir
toms revenues assigned to him as security.
AS the result of chronic disorders, attended
with constant increase of debt the state of
things in Santo Domingo has become hopeless
unless the United States other strong
government shall interpose to bring order out
of the chaos.
The custom houses with the exception of the
two in the possession Of the financial agent ep-
pointed by the United States. have become IN
productive for the discharge of Indebtedness. eX-
cept as TO persons making emergency loans to
the government or TO its enemies for The pur-
pose OF carrying on political contests by force.
They have, In fact, become the nuclei of the
] various revolutions. The first effort Of revou-
tionists is to take possession Of custom house
30 as TO OBTAIN funds. which are then disposed Of
at the absolute discretion OF those who are col
lecting them.
THREATENING AMERICAN INTERESTS
The chronic disorders prevailing in Santo DO
mingo have, moreover. become exceedingly Gan-
gerous TO the interests OF Americans holding
property In that country. Constant complaints
have been received of the injuries and i,lcon-
Teniences to which they have been subjected
As an evidence Of the increasing aggravation cf
conditions, the fact may be mentioned that
apout year ago the American railway which
had previously been exempt from such attacks
was seized, its tracks torn up and station de-
strOyed by revolutionary bands.
The ordinary resources of diplomacy and in
fernational arbitration are absolutely inpotent
20 deal wisely and effectively with the situation
In the Dominican Republic, which can onIv be
met oy organizing its finances on a sound basis
and by placing the custom houses beyond the
temptation Of insursent chieftains. Either we
must abandon duty under our traditional
policy toward the Dominican people, who aspir.
20 republican form of government while thew
ere actually drifting into a condition of pern,a
nsnt anarchy, in which case we must hermit
some other government to adopt its ov,n
measures in order TO safeguard its own inter-
esss, or else we must ourselves take seasonabIe
and appropriate action.
Again and again has the Dominican eovern-
ynent invoked on it's own behalf the aid of tho
bhltec states 1t has repeatedly done so of re-
treaty relations by which it would he nIaceJ
under the protection of the United States GOV
eminent. The request refused Again IN
January, 1904, its Minister of Foreign A eats re
visited Washington, and besought the helm of
'the United States government to enable il to es-
cape from its financial and social disorders
Compliance with this request was apain a.
clined for this government has been most "a
luctsnt TO interfere in any pay and finaiI,7a Ie
ciuoec 10 take action only because il has becorna
evident that failure TO do so may result in a
situation fraught with grave danger In the
cause OF international peace
In 1903 a representative of a foreign goya,-,
1nent proposed 10 the United States the Joint
fiscal control Of the Dominican Republic bv Ger
tain creditor nations, and that the latter cbo,id