New-York tribune., 1908-03-31
THE ABUSE OF ASYLUM.

The latest news from Hayu confirms the cor
rectness Of various observations which were
made a fortnight ago concerning the abuse OF
asylum. We cited the expert testimony of the
American Minister TO Hayti in 1868, to the
effect that the receiving Of political refugees
did more harm than good and offered pre-
MUM for factious disturbances and sedition,
and on the very same day correspondent of
The London Standard" who had lived long in
Hayti expressed the opinion that If the right
of refuge in foreign consulates were denied TO
revolutonists there would be far fewer reyo-
lutions. But asylum was given to gang OF
political criminals at that time, and now we
are Informed that another conspiracy against
the lawful government has been formed,
headed by a man who had formerly been sus-
pected Of treason and arrested but released, and
that the conspirators have taken refuge in the
French consulate.
A fortnight ago leading European paper
declared that it unthinkable that foreign
powers should refuse such asylum. We should
rather say that it is unthinkable that they
should continue Indefinitely to grant asylum in
such circumstances. The London Spectator,
in a temperate and generally well Informed
article, says that If there were guarantee or
fair trial the consuls would probably not put
themselves TO the Inconvenience Of entertain
ing refugees. The present case shows that
fair trials held for the ringleader who is
now in asylum at the French consulate, was
arrested on March Il and was released on
March 24 If there had bahI the summary
shootings, and "wholesale massacres' which
we have heard so much babble about, he would
now be in the cemetery instead of the con-
suate
In the article already cited THE Spectator
iudiciously says that the United States has
more natural interest in Hayti than any other
power and "if the United States has no rea-
"Son for Intervention. other countries have shli
less Precisely and, The Spectator
points out. it is the policy of the united States
not to intervene for the protection OF its
own citizens and 10 let the Haytians work
out their own salvation. AS for the need of
protection for foreigners let the correspondent
Of The Standard already quoted. testify:
There is very little if any danger to whites
living in Hayti. In all my experience / have
never known Of white injured When English
men are mentioned as being i'll treated it should
be explained that they natives Of Jamaica,
and in the same way Frenchmen are from the
islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe Not
that wish in any way to disparage their rights
10 the,r nationality. The white resi-
dents of Hayti do not take sides one way or an
other in these revolutions. although, as specu-
iation. they have been known to make contr1bu-
tionS 10 what may be termed the war chest, but
the Jamaican boys, chiefly employed as stable
men and servants, the CfuadelOupians, CubanS
and Martiniuuais. as BARRIERS shop assistants
etc. nearly all take an active part in the social
upheavals and do not declare their nationality
until they are in trouble.
We believe that to be substantially accurate
statement Of the situation, and repeat that
il does not seem right, indeed 1t seems intOl-
cradle. that one government, domiciled by
courtesy on the soil Of another should there
give refuge and protection, and thus aid aud
comfort. to citizens of that other country who
are engaged in criminal plots against 1t, TO
It's own citizens who are also thus unlawfully
engaged. As TO the protest that no civilized
country could think of refusing Haytian Grim
inalS asylum from their own government we
may answer that the United States does not
only think of but actually practices that
fusal, and, TO adapt the words of The Spec
tator'' concerning intervention If the United
States has no reason for granting asylum. other
countries have still less.