The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-13
Lawlessne. Under Protocols"

b
small fry besides, has taken possession
of the custom house at Monte Cristi
Santo Domingo. and is collecting duties
there in tho person OF one OF his naval
subordinates. Lieutenant-Commander
EDWARDS FAYssoUX LEIPEE of the var
ship Detroit,
Monte Cristi and the region of which it
is the port are not at present under tho
actual control of President MoRALEs's
Government. This part of the Domini-
can Republic is in a state OF nsurrection,
active or latent. and the revenue hitherto
derived from the Monte Cristi custom
house has not been available to the
Morales Government at Santo Domingo
City, but to the revolutionists for local
purposes under what is alleged to be
a compact giving them practical au-
tonomy in their district and concurred
in by Commander DILLlNGHAM on the
part Of the United States.
w DPlUcl NOHlindllntA lSll1i1l Llh
or did not promise the Monte Cristi revo-
lutionists that they should remain un-
disturbed in their possession Of the GUS
tom house and its revenues is not Of the
slightest Importance. He had no power
10 promise. no business TO concur. The
present seizure OF the port by an Ameri-
can naval force is lawless proceeding,
not because IT, violates any understand
ing which Mr.. DILLINGHAM may have
had with the local revolutionists, but
because it amounts 10 the policing OF
Santo Domingo by American arms for
the benefit Of President MoRALEs's Gov
eminent. 1t is the intervention of the
United States in civil conflict upon the
territory of another rcpublic-territory
whereupon no treaty gives us the least
color Of a right or duty to enter for such
purpose
The absence Of any lawful authority
for this violent proceeding we shall
proceed to show.
Lieutenant Commander LETTER, In
possession of the Monte Cristi custom
house, is doing his duty as a sailor and
officer. for he is acting under the orders
of his superior, Admiral SIGsBeE. Adj
miral SIGsBRE, il is fair to presume,
must be acting under instructions from
his superior, Secretary MORTON. But
from what source does Secretary MoE-
ToNs own authority Gomez
The facts OF the situation at Monte
Crsti, as stated above, appear now TO
be admitted substantially at the State
Department. There is no longer an
attempt to conceal what is going on
in Santo Domingo. At the same time,
there has been another and a most re-
markable shift in the pretence of lawful
authority for these operations in foreign
territory.
At first the evident intention was to
RELY upon the Dillingham; Sanchez agree
ment executed az a flnality at Santo
Domingo on Jan. 20. We printed the
exact text of that instrument, and showed
that although STYLED protocol 1t was
in fact a treaty, without value or validity
because it lacked ratification by the
| Senate. indispensable under the Consti-
| tuition The Dillingham-Sanchez agree
/ ment and covenant, or protocol was
thereupon abandoned as the basis Of
/ operations. and a promise was made to
send to the Senate a treaty for ratifca-
ton in the constitutional way.
/ Meanwhile the operations in Santo
Domingo continued, and in order to cover
them during the uncomfortable interim
the theory was advanced at the State
Department that they we're prosecuted
and warranted by the terms Of the award
of the Commission Of Arbitration, rem
dered on July IA, 1904, which authorized
the Financial Agent Of the United States
in Santo Domingo to extend his control
of the customs revenues 10 Monte Cristi,
Sanchez and SANTANA in case the collec-
ctions at Puerto Plata proved INSULT
cient TO meet the monthly installment Of
ss7, 500 payable under the award. II was
thought" at the State Department that
Judge ABBOTT the Financial Agent,
might have found it necessary to resort
10 Monte Cristi and TO call for Admiral
S1GsREE's help in extending the field of
his authority to enter and administer.
just then Judge ABBOTT turned up une1-
pectedly in New York. having left the
island on Feb 3, He stated that as a
matter of fact it had not been necessary
to go beyond the port of Puerto Plata
for the revenue needed TO meet the
monthly installments; also that when he
left Santo Domingo on Feb. 3 Admiral
SIGsBER was negotiating with the people
Of Monte Cristi for their independent
adoption Of the protocol.
Undismayed. the spokesman Of the
C,ato Dcpartucnt turned aoain IN tba