Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-05

bility was assured her government and people.
 Accordingly, the executive depart ment of our government negotiated a treaty under which we are able to try to help the Dominican people to straighten out their finances. This treaty is pending before the senate. In the meantime a temporary arrange ment has been made which will last until the senate has had time to take action upon the treaty. Under this ar engagement the Dominican government has appointed Americans to all the i'm portant positions in the customs serv. ice, and they are seeing to the honest collection of the revenues, turning over 45 per cent to the government for run ming expenses and putting the other 55 per cent into a safe depositary for equitable division in case the treaty shall be ratified among the various creditors, whether European or Ameri- can.
 The custom houses offer well nigh the only sources of revenue in Santo Do- mingo, and the different revolutions usually have as their aim the obtain ing possession of these custom houses. The mere fact that the collectors of customs are Americans, that they are performing their duties with efficiency and honesty and that the treaty is pending in the senate gives certain moral power to the government of San to Domingo which it has not had be- fore. This has completely discouraged l all revolutionary movement, while it has already produced such an increase in the revenues that the government is actually getting more from the 45 per cent that the American collectors turn over to it than it got formerly when it took the entire revenue. It is enabling the poor harassed people of Santo Do- mingo once more to turn their attention to industry and to be free from the curse of interminable revolutionary disturbance. It offers to all bona flde creditors, American and European, the only really good chance to obtain that to which they are justly entitled, while it in return gives to Santo Domingo the only opportunity of defense against claims which 1t ought not to pay for now If it meets the views of the senate we shall ourselves thoroughly examine all these claims, whether American or foreign, and see that none that are i'm proper are paid. There is, of course, opposition to the treaty from dishonest creditors, foreign and American, and from the professional revolutionists of the island itself. We have already req son to believe that some of the creditors who do not dare expose their claims to honest scrutiny are endeavoring to stir up sedition in the island and opposition to the treaty. In the meantime, have exercised the authority vested in me by the joint resolution of the congress to prevent the introduction of arms into the island for revolutionary purposes.
 Under the course taken. stability and order and all the benefits of peace are at last coming to Santo Domingo, dan ger of foreign intervention has been suspended, and there is at last pros pect that all creditors will get justice, no more and no less. If the arrange ment is terminated by the failure of the treaty, chaos will follow. and if chaos follows. sooner or later this gov ernment may be involved in serious difficulties with foreign governments over the island or else may be forced itself to intervene in the island in some unpleasant fashion. Under the proposed treaty the independence of the island Is scrupulously respected, the danger of violation of the Monroe doctrine by the intervention of foreign powers vanishes and the interference of our government Is minimized so that we shall only act in conjunction with the Santo Domingo authorities to se- cure the proper administration of the customs and therefore to secure the payment of just debts and to secure the Dominican government against de- .mands for unjust debts. The proposed method will give the people of Santo Domingo the same chance to move on- ward and upward which we have al- ready given to the people of Cuba. It will be doubly to our discredit as na- ton if we fsil to take advantage of this chance. for 1t will he of damage 10 ourselves and it will be of incalcu- fable damage to Santo Domingo. Ev- cry consideration of wise policy and, above all. every consideration of large generosity bids us meet the request of Santo Domingo as we are now trying to meet it.
 The Army snd Navy.
 We cannot consider the question of our foreign policy without at the same time treating of the army and navy. We now have a very small arny-in. deed. one well nigh ininitesimal when compared with the army of any other large nation. Of course the army we do have should be as nearly perfect of its kind and for its size as Is possible. I do not believe that any army in the world has a better average of enlisted man or a better type of junior officer. but the army should be trained to act effectively in a mass. Provision should be made by sufficient appropriations for maneuvers of q practical kind SO that the troops may learn how to take care of themselves under actual service conditions. every march. for instance. being made with the soldier loaded eX- actly as he would be in an active cam