Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-27
Santo Domingo.

a clear understanding OF the situation In
Santo Domingo is at this time impossible.
Conhfcting reports are received from the
Island. and various interpretations are put
upon them In this city. President Morales
has fed the capital; he is wounded and in
hiding In the capital; he is a prisoner; he
has gone to join the Jiminez camp to make
an alliance with his former enemy; he has
been driven forth by Vice President Ca
ceres who Is an ardent partisan of Jiminez;
the established government remains in
power; the established government Is over
turned: revolutionary standard has been
raised; there Is no sign OF an organized re-
volt
Out of this confusion may come the truth
within few days. Until 1t comes, however.
no estimate can safely be made of the eff
feet of the latest Dominican ebullition upon
the policies and acts OF the United States.
This government Is now acting as fiscal
agent of Santo Domingo for the sake OF
preventing foreign pressure for the collec-
ton of debts. 1t has assumed charge OF
the collections OF customs, paying fifty per
cent into the banks In New York for the
benefit Of the established claims and the
remainder into the Dominican treasury
This financial control Is proceeding under
terms OF modus vivenh arranged some
months ago by the United States with the
Morales government, then the government
de jure and de facto. The modus vivendi
was devised to permit immediate action by
the American agent pending the ratification
OF treaty on which the Senate has failed
to act.
With reference to the status of the
United States In Santo Domingo all de-
Ponds upon the fate Of the government
with which this country now has con-
t-actual relations. If Morales has abdi-
Gated his position as president, the admin
istration may remain intact and In con-
troll. If he has been driven forth by a
faction of that administration, there will
have been no change of government which
this country will be forced to acknowledge
If, on the other hand, a change Of govern
ment is effected by revolution. II Jiminez
takes possession, or If another aspirant
sweeps the existing government out Of
existence by force of arms, the compact
with the United States fails, unless 1t Is
specifically excepted from the rule that a
violent overturning of a government by
a revolutionary party nullifies all the acts
of it's predecessor
1t may be that whether the change in
Santo Domingo is merely fractional and
personal, or revolutionary and radical, the
newly organized administration will de-
sire to preserve the modus vivendi or the
prospective treaty with the United States
in full force and effect for the sake of the
satisfactory fiscal results which have
flowed from 1t. and, in the case Of revo-
lutionary upset, for the sake of the official
recognition of Its existence which such a
renewal would afford to the new govern
ment.
In any event this eruption demonstrates
the need of early action by the Senate
upon the treaty which has been pending
for many months. If the arrangement
whereby the United States undertakes to
prevent debt-collecting demonstrations In
Dominican waters by foreign powers IS I'M
satisfactory to the upper house of Con-
gress it should be formally set aside If it
is satisfactory, it should be approved. The
very possibility of embarrassment to this
government through the present upheaval
in the little republic points to the wisdom
of prompt consideration of the treaty after
the holiday recess and in final vote upon
it. BY reassembling time the case in Santo
Domingo will doubtless have cleared to
permit a perfect knowledge of all it's
aspects.