Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-21

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The Island Of San Domingo is. next
to Cuba, the largest Of the Antilles. its
area being approximately equal to trat
Of the State Of Pennsylvania. The
island is tropical Switzerland, cut
by half a dozen interesting mountain
ranges, whose peaks reach 10000 feet
1t Is the loveliest land In the world
Those whose idea Of the possibility OF
natural beauty Is founded on knswl
edge Of the Bay of Naples, the flords
Of Norway or the soft Italian lakes
would revise all their notions after a
view Of the Gulf of Gonave from the
Sierra de Ia Lelle, or of the Vega Real
(the Royal Plain of Columbus). from
the Cibao. Nowhere else has nature
contrived such jubilant and glorious
panoramas or spread such magic color
The island is paradise. Columbus
seen In all his journeyings; founded
his own city upon it, built his own
home there, named it after his father
and desired his bones to rest there
as indeed they undoubtedly do to this
day in sealed chest in the cathedral
whose time-stained walls are still one
Of the chief glories Of the Western
Hemisphere.
The natural wealth Of the island Is
lnestimably great. Mr.. Hill, Of the
cnited States Geological Survey, de-
clares that no spot Of earth Of equal
area contains within itself so many
elements Of prosperity, worldly success
and happiness" There are fortunes
for thousands In coffee, cacao, cotton
tobacco, rubber, sugar, fruit, spices
mahogany, dyewoods, gold, silver, cop
per. asphaltum, sulphur, salt. phos-
pilates and guano. All these springs OF
wealth lie untouched. Time was when
this island poured riches into the lap.
Of Spain and France; to-day it lies in
abject poverty, swept by the fire and
sword Of intermittent civil war.
The island Is divided between two
so-called nations-the republics" of
San Domingo and Haiti.
San Domingo occupies much the
larger and richer portion of the island
Its people are whittier than the Haitians
They speak Spanish, the language OF
Haiti being French. The Haitian ne.
gro is simply an African savage, his
country beautiful but completely de-
generate land, abandoned to misery
and barbarism; serpent worship and
cannibalism are commonly practiced
But Hayti has four or Ave times the
population Of San Domingo.
The population of San Domingo Is
glibly estimated, both at home and
abroad, at 100000. Half that numbe,
would be nearer the fact. You may
travel fifty miles day through large
portions of the interior and hardly see
hut or an inhabitant The popula.
ton Of the capital city is given as TO-.
900. 1t would be hard work to find
$4,000 people there.
The bulk Of these 100000 or 100000
people live contentedly in the most
primitive fashion In palm-thatched
huts little different from those Of cen.
trail Africa. The country people cult
vate a few yams and plantains, have
few pigs and chickens. The more
ambitious have little plantations Of
cacao or tobacco.
The entire population is barefooted
and half Of 1t naked. Naturally. the
Dominican is amiable and hospitable
but he Is more than half savage, and i.
capable of the blacklist treachery and
the most utter cruelty. He is common.
ly not a black man, but he is never
white. His skin is always dark, and
his hair kinky, but the latter may be
yellow in color and his eyes may be
blue. There Is no Dominican type. The
population Is mongrel, and does moi
constitute a race. Now and then thu
product Of the amazing mixture OF
blood Is man of unique nobility OF
physique or a girl Of interchangeable
beauty.
The chief asset of the country, from
an international point of view, is the
Bay Of SANTANA, which 10 one of the
most magnificent harbors in the world
and which IL SO situated a. to be OF
enormous strategic advantage. This
bay may be regarded as the key Of the
Caribbean Sea, and especially consider
ing the prospect Of the Panama Canal
its possession by any great power
would mean the mastery Of Contra
American waters.
A republic" in theory, San Domin
go is a military despotlsm so far a.
1t is under any government at all. So
ciety here is, In fact feudal. Every
valley harbors a chief, with 4 ragged
band Of followers. owing allegiance te
q provincial chief. who. in turn, sup
ports one or another presidential eau
didate or becomes one himself.
1t Is a mistake to suppose that Do
minlcan revolutions are opera-bouff,
affairs. As a rule, the slaughter /,
great. Except that the leaders ar,
much given to promulgating constitu
lions and appointing cabinets. cam
paigns on the island are much Xix,
raids Of wild Indians. Zulus or KafirI
upOn other trihea They ara moor ahOtS