Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26

the American exports to Cuba amounted to
$52.9OO,0OO This is commerce nearly
four times as great as that between the
United States and China. Since the
United States brought order out of chaos
in the finances of the Dominican Repub-
lie. that republic has met it's foreign
obligations and is enjoying a degree of
peace and prosperity hitherto unknown.
under an arrangement by which the United
States has given just the necessary as
surance of stability to bring and main
tain the new situation. French and
American bankers are undertaking. with
the approval of their governments, the es-
Establishment of a strong bank in Haiti,
under an arrangement by which foreign
obligations are to be met and local enter
prises to be fostered. The United States
has assumed to the Republic Of Panama,
the immediate neighbor of the canal, a
relationship Of practical protection
against outside interference, and with
results thus far excellent.
Monroe Doctrine.
If there is any part of this hemisphere
where the Monroe doctrine of oppos1-
ton to any European Judgment likely to
lead to a territorial foothold should be
especially insisted upon it is Central
America and the neighborhood of the
canal. When such a country as Hon
duras, for example, owes a heavy debt
to European power. since it is no part
Of the policy of the United state to pro-
tect debtors from the just claims of their
creditors, the United States must either
acouiesce in the necessary arrangement
with the European power concerned, or
must promote the relief of the situation
through our own citizens. This latter
course is the better for two reasons:
First, because the assumption Of rela-
ton to a right in the customs revenues
Of an American republic by the govern
ment Of the United States is far less
fraught with any possibility of Interior
purpose than might be the case if such
relation were assumed by any country
not SO we'll known to be without the
slightest desire of territorial expansion.
Second, there is the possibly senti-
mental but no less real reason that it is
proper that the different members of
the Pan-American family should help one
another.
As to the proposed arrangement with
Honduras, the convention now pending
in the Senate and the contracts which.
when they have been approved by the
governemnt, are to receive the measure
of its protection are understood to go
much less far than does the Dominican
arrangement, and merely to give the
moral weight of a potential right to Sc
cure all the benefits of the plan by in
surfing honest administration of the Gus
toms revenue and the carrying out of
internal improvements urgently needed
for the development of the country.
To Restore Honduran Peace.
1t is. of course, automatic that financial
rehabilitation will be long step toward
the stability, strength. prosperity, COM
merce and peace of Honduras. How es-
sential that stability and peace are to
the peace of all Central America was. of
course. recognized when the five repub-
lies. by the Washington conventions of
1907, undertook to respect the neutrality
of Honduras. Honduras may. in fact,
be regarded as the keystone of Central
American peace, and undeSS it's condition
be thoroughly changed by putting its
financial house in order it will relapse
into it's old position as the theater on
which the rival ambitions of various
Would-be dictators of greater Central
America are fought out. The United
States bears a moral responsibility to the
Washington convention, and this reSpon-
sibility has been crystallized through the
fact that every Central American re-
public has, from time to time, invoked
our good Offices to induce another to OBJ
serve the provisions of the conventions.
The ratification of the Honduras con-
vention is an issue of paramount i'm
the question whether or not this gov
eminent is to have an ineligible and
effective policy in the region affected;
whether or not American money can be
used to bring about prosperous condi-
tons and whether or not futile fighting
and waste of rich resources shall cease.
1t is doubly important just now because
the reformed administration of Nicaragua
has called upon the United States for
similar assistance and even now, in re-
American financial expert has been sent
with the new legation to Nicaragua, to
begin the work of taking an account of
stock to see precisely how the United
States could be Of assistance.
A Job for Marines?
Whv should the Senate hesitate? Is
it because they shudder at the thought
that some time in the future few
marines might have to preserve the
peace of a custom house and prevent
the debtor Of American citizens from
wasting ms estate? II this were SO,
how could the marines, who must be
maintained. and, perhaps, lack exercise,
be more usefully and peacefully EN-
ployed? Without any convention. and
even now in the discharge of the ordi
nary duties of International law, the
United States and Great Britain have
landed marines at La Ceiba and at Puer-
to Cortez to prevent fighting in unforti
fed towns, where there are important
foreign interests. They have also pro-
tected the terminus Of the Interoceanic
Railway, as to which. by the way. the
treaty of 1864. between honduras and the
United States. says. among other things:
1.-The United States recognizes the rights
of sovereignty and property of Honduras
in and over the line of said road, and
for the same reason guarantees. positive
" and efficaciously. the entire neutrality
of the same" which is of distinct his
torical interest. BY their action. taken
in the ordinary course of business. the
British and American marines arrested
the useless shedding of blood to the gen.