The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-12-05

ment OF its obligations; for such temporary
occupation might turn into permanent oo-
cupatlon. The only escape from these al
ternatlyes may at any time be that we must
ourselves undertake TO bring about some ar
rangement BY which 80 much as possible
OF just obi legation shall be paid II is far
better that this country should put through
such an arrangement, rather than allow any
| foreign country TO undertake IT, To do so
insures the defaulting republic from having
to pay debts OF en- improper character under
duress. while 1t also nsures honest creditors
OF the republic from being passed by In the
interest OF dishonest grasping credi ors.
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 we'll as in the interest
| Of Justice. II is OF benefit to our people:
It Is Of benefit to foreign peoples and most
Of all II is really OF benefit to the people OF
This brings me to what should be one OF
the fundamental objects Of the Monroe Doc
trine. We must ourselves in good faith try
70 help upward toward peace and order those
| Of our sister republics which need such
help. Just as there has been q gradual
| growth Of the ethical element in the rela-
| tions Of one individual to another, so We are,
even though slowly. more and more coming
| to recognize the duty OF bearing one an
others burdens, not only as among individ-
un'- but also as among nations.
santo Domingo.
santo Domingo, in her turn. has now made
an appeal to us to help her. and not only
| every principle Of wisdom but every gen
erous instinct within US bids us respond to
| the appeal II is not Of the slightest conse
quence whether we grant the aid needed by
| Santo Domingo as incident to the wise
development OF the Monroe Doctrine, or be-
| 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
| with any reference to the Monroe Doctrine
| The important point Is to give the needed
aid, and the case IS certainly sufficiently pc
culiar to deserve to be Judged purely on its
| own merits The conditions in Santo Do
| mingo have for a number Of years grown
| from bad to worse until a year ago all So
eiety was on the verge Of dissolution. Fortu-
nately, just at this time a ruler sprang up
| In Santo Domingo. who, with his colleagues
| saw the dangers threatening their country
and appealed to the friendship OF the only
great and powerful neighbor who possessed
the power, and as they hoped also the will
10 help them. There was imminent danger
/ OF foreign Intervention. The previous rulers
| 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 % her for
el-n creditors had become exhausted. and
| at least two foreign ngtions we're 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
u
European power OF the debts incurred some
were Just, while some were not Of char
acter which really renders II obligatory on,
| or proper for, Santo Domingo to pay them
in full. But she could not pay any Of them
/ unless some stability was assured her gov
ernment and people.
Accordingly the Executive department of
| our government negotiated a treaty under
| which we are to try to help the Dominican
| people to straigbten out their finances. This
| treaty is pending before the Senate. In the
lima h. 49,
| made which will last until the Senate has
| had time to take action upon the treaty. I'm
der this arrangement the Dominican govern
ment has appointed Americans to all the inn
p0rtant positions In the customs service
and they are seeing to the honest collection
Of the revenues, turning over As per cent TO
the government for running expenses and
| puttig the other IS per cent into a 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
| II has not had before This has completely
discouraged all revolutionary movement,
while II has already produced such an in
crease in the revenues that the government
is actually getting more from the 45 per cent
that the American collectors turn over to II
than it got formerly when it took the entire
revenue II 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 interminabe revolutionary
disturbance. II Offers to all bona fide cred
tors, American and European, the only really
good chance to obtain that to which they are
Justly entitled, while 1t In turn gives to
Santo Domingo the only opportunity Of de-
Tense against claims which ~ uof tn,
pay, for now IL 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
are paid. There is, Of course. opposition to
the treaty from dishonest creditors. foreign
and American, and fr~m the professional
revolutionists Of the island itself We have
already reason 10 believe that some OF the
creditors who do not dare expose their claims
to honest scrutiny are endeayoring to stir up
sedtion In the island and opposition to the
treaty. In the meantime l 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.
Under the course taken. stability and or
der and all the benefits Of peace are at last
coming to Santo Domingo danger Of foreign
Intervention has been suspended, and there
Is at last a prospect that ali creditors will
get justice, no more and no less. II the ar
rangement is terminated by the failure OF
the treaty chaos will follow; and Ii chaos
follows, sooner or later this government may
be involved in serious difnculties with for
eign governments over the island. or else
may be forced itself to intervene in the is
land In some unpleasant fashion. Under the
proposed treaty the independence OF the is
land is scrupulously respected, the danger of
violation OF the Monroe Doctrine BY the in
tervention OF foreign powers yanishes and
the interference II our government is mini
mized. so that we shall only act in contunc-
ton with the Santo Domingo authorities to
secure the proper administration OF the Gus
toms, snd therefore to secure the payment OF
Just aeJts and to secure the Dominican gov
ernment against demands for unjust debts
The proposed method will give the people OF
Santo Domingo the same chance to move
onward and upward which we have already
given to the people OF Cuba. II will be
doubly TO our discredit as a nation II we
fail to take advantage Of this chance; for it
will be OF damage TO ourselves. and ii will
go. Every consideration Of wise policy and
above all, every Consideration OF large gen
eroslty, 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
foreign policy without at the same time
treating Of the army and the navy. We now
have a very small army-indeed one we'll
nigh infnitesimal when compared with the
army Of any other large nation or course
the army we do have should be as nearly
perfect Of its kind and for its size as Is pos
sible do not believe that any army in the
world has a better average OF enlisted men or |
better type Of junior officers: but the army
should be trained TO act effectively in mass.