The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-12-08

porarily. OF the custom houses OF an AmerI
| can republic In order to enforce the pay
ment OF its obligations for such temporar,
occupation might turn into permanent oc
cupation. The only escape from these al
ternatives may at any time be that we mus
ourselves undertake to bring about some ar
rangement by which SO much as possibl,
Of just obligation shall be paid. II Is fal
better that this country should put through
| such an arrangement, rather than allow any
foreign country to undertake it. To do Sc
insures the defaulting republic from having
to pay debts OF an improper character under
duress, while 1t also nsures honest creditors
of the republic from being passed by in the
interest of dishonest or graspng creditors
Moreover. for the United States to take such
position offers the only possible way OF
insuring us against clash with some for
eign power. The position is, therefore, in
the interest Of peace as well as in the interest
it is of benefit to foreign peoples; and most
Of all 1t is really Of benefit to the people OF
the country concerned.
This brings me to what should be one OF
| the fundamental objects Of the Monroe Doc
trine. We must ourselves in good faith try
to help upward toward peace and order those
of our sister republics which need such
help. Just as there has been a gradual
growth of the ethical element in the rela-
tons OF one individual to another, SO we are,
even though slowly, more and more coming
to recognize the duty Of bearing one an
| otHeT DuTueuS, not only as among 1ndlVld-
| u" put also as among nations.
santo Domingo.
Santo Domingo in her turn. has now made
an appeal st to us to help her. and not only
erous instinct within US bids us respond to
the appeal 1t is not of the slightest conse-
guence whether we grant the aid needed by
Santo Domingo as an incident to the wise
| cause we regard the case Of Santo Domingo
| as standing wholly by itself, and to be treated
as such, and not on general principles or
The important point is to give the needed
aid, and the case is certainly sufficiently Pc
cuiar to deserve to be judged purely on its
own merits. The conditions in santo Do
from bad to worse until a year ago all So
ciety was on the verge of dissolution. Fortu-
nately, just at this time ruler sprang up
in santo Domingo. who, with his colleagues,
and appealed to the friendship of the only
great and powerful neighbor who possessed
the power, and as they hoped also the will
to help them. There was imminent danger
Of Santo Domingo had recklessly incurred
debts, and owing to her internal disorders
she had ceased to be able to provide means of
paying the debts. The patience of her for
el.n creditors had become exhausted, and
at least two foreign nations were on the
point OF intervention, and were only pre-
vented from intervening by the unofficial as
surace of this government that it would it.
self strive to help Santo Domingo in her hour
of need. In the case Of one of these nations,
only the actual opening of negotiations to
this end by our government prevented the
seizure of territory in Santo Domingo by
European power. OF the debts incurred some
were just. while some were not of char
acter which really renders it obligatory on,
in full. But she could not pay any of them
unless some stability was assured her gov
eminent and people,
Accordingly the Executive department of
our government negotiated a treaty under
which we are to try to help the Dominican
people to straighten out their finances. This
treaty is pending before the Senate. In the
meantime temporary arrangement has been
had time to take action upon the treaty I'm
der this arrangement the Dominican govern
ment has appointed Americans to all the i'm
portant positions in the customs service,
Of the revenues, turning over As per cent to
the government for running expenses and
puttig the other IS per cent into safe de-
positary for equitable division in case the
treaty shall be ratified, among the various
creditors, whether European or American.
The custom houses offer well-nigh the only
sources of revenue in Santo Domingo, and
the different revolutions usually have as their
real aim the obtaining possession of these
custom houses. The mere fact that the COL
lectors of customs are Americans, that they
are performing their duties with efficiency
and honesty, and that the treaty is pend
ing In the Senate, gives a certain moral pow
er to the government of Santo Domingo which
it has not had before. This has completely
while it has already produced such an in
crease in the revenues that the government
is actually getting more from the As per cent
that the American collectors turn over to it
revenue. It is enabling the poor harassed
people Of Santo Domingo once more to turn |
their attention to industry and to be free |
from the curse of interminable revolutionary |
itors, American and European, the only really |
good chance to obtain that to which they are |
justly entitled, while it in turn gives to |
Santo Domingo the only opportunity Of de- |
pay, for now If it meets the views of the
Senate we shall ourselves thoroughly ex-
anime all these claims, whether American or
foreign, and see that none that are improper
the treaty from dishonest creditors, foreign
and American, and from the professional
revolutonsts Of the island itself. We have
already reason to believe that some of the
creditors who do not dare expose their claims
to honest scrutiny are endeavoring to stir up
sediton in the island and opposition to the
treaty In the meantime I have exercised
the authority vested in me by the joint reso-
luton OF the Congress to prevent the intro
duction of arms into the island for revolu-
tionary purposes.
OHuer tHe course taken, STABILITY ana or |
der and all the benefits of peace are at last
coming to Santo Domingo, danger of foreign
has been suspended, and there
s. at last prospect that all creditors will
get justice, no more and no less. If the ar
rangement is terminated by the failure of
he treaty chaos will follow; and IL chaos
follows, sooner or later this government may
De involved in serious difficulties with for
sign governments over the island, or else
nay be forced itself to intervene In the is
and in some unpleasant fashion. Under the
proposed treaty the independence of the is
and Is scrupulously respected, the danger of
violation of the Monroe Doctrine by the in
ervention of foreign powers vanishes, and
he interference If our government is mini
nized SO that we shall only act in conjunc-
ion with the Santo Domingo authorities to
secure the proper administration of the GUS
oms, and therefore to secure the payment of |
ust debts and to secure the Dominican gov
,rnment against demands for unjust debts
rhe proposed method will give the people of
'anto Domingo the same chance to move
inward and upward which we have already
,iven to the people of Cuba. It will be-
Loudly to our discredit as a nation IL we
all to take advantage of this chance; for it
will be Of damage to ourselves, and it will
'e Of incalculable damage to Santo Domin-
70. Every consideration Of wise policy, and,
bove all, every consideration of large gen. | ,
rosity, bids us meet the request of Santo
Domingo as we are now trying to meet it.
Army and Navy.
We cannot consider the question of our :
oreign policy without at the same time :
reating of the army and the navy We now :
ave very small army-indeed, one we'll +
,Ay1tfa rtp,