The Washington times., 1907-02-17
Ratification of Measure by
the Senate Viii Destroy
American Enter
priSeS.
Believes "Nigger in Wood
pile" Is Clause That
viii Result in An
neXatiOn.

As soon as the Department Of Stats
made public the details OF the Dominican
protocol lately presented 10 the Senate
| for ratification, a representative Of The
/ Times called upon w L. Bass. at tho
Raleigh Hotel Mr. Bass is veteran
/ American planter and landed proprietor
( IN SantO Domingo lie has lived and
/ carried on business there for the last
/ twenty-five years.
| When questioned as to his views upon
/ the possibility OF the Senate ratifying
/ the protocol either before March 4 OF
I AZ an extra session. Mr.. Bass said.
! The new protocol is Identical in is
spirit and details to the old one. This
| - made evident by placing them in
! deadly parallel The Old protocol was
| expressed in less words. and was conse-
quenty more ambiguous. In the pres
ent document more words are used In
/ an attempt To- indicate change Of policy
| the hidden purpose Of the measure =
| but made the more clear The aim
/ OF President Roosevelt is TO have the
: Senate create an International law 10
provide for the collecting and disposal
II the revenue Of q foreign people. IN
order 10 effect this IL must be accom-
/ pushed IN secrecy and for this purpose
/ il is disguised as a treaty. As an in
| ternatiOnaI compact law IL would not be
/ assaiIabIe in the courts Of either coun-
[ try There IS no precedent for such
action and the outcome is awaited with
much interest The measure is a cIum-
3 silly disguised plan % place certain
funds accumulated during the past two
years at the early disposal OF certain
[ American creditors of SantO Domingo
and some natives Their influence here
/ in Washington and with those in control
| IN SantO Domingo is considered by
some 10 he sufficiently powerful
10 have the measure passed The new
/ proposal is as replete with possibilities
I for graft as the old one 1t will not
I be necessary to make any indications
regarding the graft features 10 United
States Senators. They already under
stand this.
Would InjuTe Industries.
''If this measure were ratified by the
United States Senate IL would destroy
every American enterprise in the couns
| try, not by FIR, but through excessive
taxation. which would be necessary "a
meet the demands and obligations slip
Ulate6 in the treaty. It would deprive
the native Legislature Of the right "a
make any reductions in their existing
high taxes and impel them TO increase
! all taxes ad libitum- The measure plans
( the abandonment, by the United States
! Government Of all invested American
/ interests in the country TO the cupidity
Of the native officials. upon the cOn-
diti0n lat a part Of the public receipts
viii be coded 20 foreign and native al.
legged creditors Many Of the foreign
/ creditors do not even rent an office in
I the country. 1t is contended that all
claims have teen adjudicated. This is
not the fact The plan is to block the
/ settlements o. all future and unsub.
mitted existing claims in favor of those
behind the measure In order TO carry
( out the program, the United States
I Government is TO act as a permanent
armed collector. II the measure K
adopted by the dominican Congress. Is
/ Will be the death warrant Of every
native official whose approval is record
/ ed; because in practice IL viii preclude
/ the possibility Of all future elections,
both regular and impromptu
"The attitude of the United States to,
/ wards S9uto Domingo for the past two
years has been TO encourage the natives
/ I'm the belief that they could run the
! gov eminent without constitution. The
natives who have been backed for some
! time ~ United States men-of-war are
/ beginning TO believe this. Such condi.
tiOns. must. Of course, only make foI
| the early and complete political and in,
dustriaI prostration Of the country
| This Is aimed at in order 10 pave the
way for annexation 10 the United States
rn~H1fFar,E
this connection. Practically the only
/ opposition in the United States TO the
annexation Of the country comes from
/ the beet and cane sugar producers and
| the sugar reiners. The sugar producing
| world recognizes that the Dominican
capacity for placing white sugar upon
| the American market, a few years afte1
annexation. would be about half the
quantity produced upon the island OF
Cuba. Therefore, there is little pos.
sibility OF annexation taking place as
long as sugar Is produced in Sante
Domingo.
Sugar Production Increases.
"The sugar production is on the ina
| crease even under the present unsatiss
/ factory conditions. over 1000 acres OF
new land were cleared last fall to in.
! crease the existing cane areas. The
planters have practically straddled The
situation. II the treaty Is not ratified
| they look TO European markets for q
better disposal of their sugar than in
the United States. II the treaty is rati.
fed they realize that il means early
chaOs-and probable annexation. Once
annexed. the planters would reap early
benefits. for in the meantime the canes
cannot be destroyed as in SantO Do
mingO the sugar cane is practically &
weed"
When asked If there were any natives
who favored annexation Mr. Bass rs.
Piled You are getting too near the in.
! dividual IN the wood pile" anG refused
20 express himself further upon Tia