Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-12-06

face to face with disagreeable alterna =
tivcs. On the one hand, this coun-
try would certainly decline to 60 to
war 10 prevent a foreign government
from collecting Il Just debt: on the 9TH
er hand, it Is very inadvisable to per-
nit any foreign power to take possess
sion, even temporarily. of the custom
houses of an American republic in Or
der to enforce the payment of It's obli-
cations; for such temporary occupation
might turn into permanent occupa-
tion. The only escape from these al
ternatives may at any time be that we
must ourselves undertake to bring
about some arrangement by which so
much as possible of just obligation
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 an i'm
proper character under duress, while it
also inSures honest creditors of the re-
public from being passed by in the in
tcreSt of dishonest or grasping credi-
tors. Moreover, for the United States
to take such position offers the only
possible way OF insuring us against a
clash with some foreign power. The
position is, therefore. in the interest of
peace as well as in the interest of JUS
tice. 1t is of benefit to our people; it
is Of benefit to foreign peoples: and
most of all it 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 Doctrine. 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 re-
lations of one individual to another. so
we are, even though slowly, more and
more coming to recognize the duty of
bearing one another's burdens, not only
as among individuals. 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 generous instinct within us bids
US respond to the appeal. 1t is not of
the slightest consequence whether we
grant the aid needed by Santo Domingo
as an incident to the wise development
of the Monroe Doctrine, or because 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 peculiar to de-
serve TO be judged purely on its
own merits. The conditions in
Santo Domingo have for q num-
Der of years grown from bad to
worse until a year ago all society
was on the verge of dissolution. For
tunately, just at this time ruler
sprans up in Santo Domingo, who. with
his colleagues, saw the dangers threat
ening their country and appealed to the
friendship Of the only great and power
full neighbOr who possessed the power
and as they hoped also the will to help
them. There was imminent danger of
foreign Intervention. The previous
rulers Of SGntO Domingo had reckless
,ly incurred debts, and owing to her in
tcrnal disorders she had ceased to be
able to provide means of paying the
debts. The patience of her foreign
creditors had become exhausted, and at
least two foreign nations were on the
point of intervention, and were only
prevented from intervening by the un-
official assurance of this government
that it would itself 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 ny our government prevented the
seizure of territory in Santo Domingo
by European power. OF the debts
incurred some We're just, while some
We're not of n character which really
renders 1t obligatory OH. or proper for,
Santo Domingo to pay them in full.
But she could not pay any of them
unless some stability was assured her
government and people.
Accordingly the executive depart
ment of our government negotiated
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
a temporary arrangement has been
made which will last until the Senate
has had time to take action upon the
treaty. Under this arrangement the
Dominican government has appointed
Americans to all the important posi-
tiOns in the customs service. and they
are seeing to the honest collection of
the revenues, turning over As per cent.
to tn" government for running eX-
penses and putting the other SIS per
cent into safe depository for equit-
able 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 OBJ
tanning possession of these custom
houses. The mere fact that the col
lectCrs Of customs are Americans, that
they are performing their duties with
efficiency and honesty. and that the
treaty is pending the Senate. gives a
certain moral power to the govern
ment of Santo Domingo it has not had
before. This has completely discour-
aged all revolutionary movement.
while it has already produced such an