The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-25

| her supremacy in "a region which is
prominently the domain of sea pow
err"
Take the position in San Domingo,
over which there is a virtual Ameri-
can protectorate. The situation ena-
bles the United States to play lead
ing part in the affairs of the Republic.
AS it was in the Sandwich Islands SO
it will be in Hispaniola. But instead
of supporting American citizens in
overthrowing the native Government
Washington has merely to support one
of the rival parties in the State. Ow-
ing to it's disturbed condition, trade
with this country and the United
States has declined. But its resources
are so rich and the soil so fertile that
it is still considerable. Should all
preferences be granted to America,
however, we shall suffer as we have
already suffered in Hawaii and Porto
Rico. How useful this weapon can be
is proved by France, which negotiated
a convention of commerce and naviga-
ton with Hayti on a threat to subject
her coffee to the maximum tariff. The
only country which is never able to
strengthen her position in a neutral
market is England, because she has
nothing to give. The figures for Brit
ISL and American trade in Hayti and
San Domingo for the following years
tell their own tale:
UNITED KINGDOM.
Exports to Hayti and San Domingo
1890, e547,4O9; 1895, e 359, OFT; 1900, $751;
PSI; 1904, e309 $50.
Imports from Hayti and San Domin-
go-1Sso, eSs,5s3; 1895. e52,216; 1900,
ESD. 05S 1904, 1913
UNITED STATES.
Exports to Hayti and San Domingo
1880. s1,252. 343; 1895. 81, 2s2, 344; 1900.
sS72,757; 1904. sS26, 271.
Imports from Hayti and san Domin-
go-1S90, e874,446: 1895, $3.50, 700; 1900, ;
e973,042; 1904, e662, 1903.
1t is by no means creditable to Brit
ish enterprise that we have almost en- /
tirely lost the carrying trade of the
island The application of the Haytian
coastwise laws may have had some
thing to do with it. But when our
rivals can maintain steamship lines to
san Domingo, one of them making
Gr1msby port of call, surely We can
do the same The vessels of the Ham
burg-American Company call regular
" at Port-au-Prince, and so do French
and Dutch steamers, but only one
British ship entered the harbor in 1893
and two in 1904. A table like the fol-
lowing makes US wonder whether Eng
land means TO wake up in tire West
Indies or slumber on till il is too late
TO retrieve her position:
SHIPPING AT SAN DOMINGO IN 1904
Entered
Germany 49, 90 vessels Of 171.445 tons
Netherlands So vessels of So, 429 tons
France $3.50. AZ vessels of IS. 040 tons
Great Britain l vessel of 1,475 tons
Cleared
Germany 80 vessels of III. AS tons
Netherlands 90 vessels of Sc. 42s tons
France $500 ~ vessels Of 5000 tons
Great Britain vessels of 1.z24 tors
But the largest and most important
sland in the Caribbean is Cuba. Nomi-
1ally 1t is independent. But experience
5 teaching Us that whenever a strong
state establishes protectorate over \
weak one and secures reciprocity there
: an end Of freedom. II was so in Ha-
vail, and it will be so in Cuba. Last (
year Lord Lansdowne negotiated an ,
Anglo-Cuban commercial treaty TO :
axe the place Of the one in existence :
before the Spanish-American War one :
ia1se secures English shipping against f
my attempt which may be made in tho Z
uture 10 include Cuban ports in the Z
oastwise trade Of the United States :
secures to English trade tn I
ost-favore5-nation treatment IN al
asses save those in which the recipro1-
" agreement with America gives he !
GODS special privileges 4 similar
reaty with Italy became law two :
ears ago. But from the monoP-I !
list point OF view there is all :
he difference in the world be I
ween one OF the smaller Powers and :