The sun., 1905-12-28
THE S.ANTO DOMINGO TROTBLES
AVID THE TREATY.
There Would Have Becn no Troubles Had
the Treaty Heen Ratified.


the Treaty Heen Ratified.
To THE EDITOR or THE SUN-Sir! What
have such incidents az the flight OF President
Morales from his capital n d the threatened
recurrence of revolution in Santo Domingo
to do with tire expediency of ratifying such
an arrangement as was embodied in the
Dominican treaty, ty which the United
States agreed to collect and appotion the
Dominican customs revenue In the interest
OF foreign ceditors, Of Dominican indie
pendence and, above all, Of the United
States, which cannot desire to see LatinI
American commonw alths, especially those
In or near the Caribbean, controlled. directly
or indirectly, by European Powers?
IT may be as Cd, What would be our
situation to-day with reference to Santo
Domingo il the Dominican treaty had been
ratified by the Senator l answer that 1t
would be identical with the situation which
we occupy with relation to Venezuela or
Argentina or any other Latin American
country with which we have treaties, but
in which the government for the time being
is liable at any moment to be upset. A
treaty concluded by us with government
which at the time when the compact was
signed was recognized by us with the usual
diplomatic formalities would be binding on
the successor Of that government, and any
attempt by that successor to repudiate 1t
would constitute cdsus belR
II any other principle were accepted the
Latin American republics, in most OF which
revolution is chronic, would have to be
treated as outoasts from the pale Of inter-
national law. Had the Dominican treaty
been ratified there is not an atom Of doubt
that the successor Of Morales would have
acknowledged it as binding upon himself.
This he must have done under penalty Of
proclaiming himself an outlaw, to whom
no consideration need be shown by any
civilized State.
There has been for some time reason
to suspect that alleged creditors Of Santo
Domingo, both American and European,
who foresaw that their claims would not
bear the investigation to which they oer-
tainly would be subjected by the United
States In our capacity of receiver, were fur
nishing money to certain revolutionary
leaders for the purpose of fomenting in
surrections which, if successful, would
overthrow Morales before the treaty now
pending in our Senate could be ratified.
They were we'll aware that after the ratifca-
tion Of that treaty the execution Of 1t could
not be stopped. For their designs it was
indispensable that an anarohioal condition
should be brought about before our Senate
could arrive at decision regarding the
treaty, and for that reason, as we were told
at the time on good authority, it had been
planned that uprisings should take place
in November, before the meeting Of the
Fifty-ninth Congress.
Those Dominicans who for years have
made trade of revolution are always ready,
when supplied with the needed arms and
ammunition and with some funds for cur
rent expenses, to issue pronuncidmient
but at this time they had before them an
additional incentive. Not only would they
be able, il successful, to grab the customs
houses, through which channels almost ex-
olusively specie finds its way into circula-
ton In Santo Domingo, but in this instance
a particularly tempting lure was offered
them in the shape of the deposits, now
amounting, 1t is said, to about million Of
dollars, set apart by the American collectors
of the Dominican customs revenue for
eventual apportionment among the repub-
lies foreign creditors. With such q prize
dangled before his eyes revolutionist
would have an exceptionally powerful mo-
tive to establish a de fdcto government
which, when recognized by the United
States, would be In position to put forth
claim to the deposits above mentioned,
provided, repeat, the Senate should have
omitted to sanction the arrangement made
by President Roosevelt with the Morales
administration.
Having gained possession OF the custom
houses and having oonfiscated the funds
intended for foreign creditors, they would
obviously have given to Germany, France,
Italy and Belgium the very provocation
which our State Department has striven
to avert. The four Powers named we're
ready year ago to apply to Santo Domingo
the same coercive process which they found
effective In the case Of Venezuela, and only
by ourselves assuming the function Of
debt collector did we prevent such move
do not assert that the Dominican treaty
was not susceptible Of improvement In
some details. good deal might ha'
been said for an amendment providing
that the request for our employment of
force to maintain order must come not from
the Executive but from the Domini an Con-
gress. 1t might have teen also judicious
stipulation that our use Of force should be
limited strictly to the protection Of Ameri-
can collectors Of customs in the exercise
Of their official function. Thus modified,
however, the treaty would have been un-
Objectionable, and had 1t been ratified by
our Senate during its last session would,
In all likelihood, have put an end to internal
troubles In Santo Domingo. For 1t would
have been thoroughly realized by the Do
minicans that there was nothing to gain
from revolution, inasmuch as the treaty
concluded with Morales would have been
binding on all his SUCCESSORS until for
mally denounced.
A TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN.
n1tu ynDV Dao