The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-10
SHOULD CONTROL OR RETIRE.


When Secretary Knox visited the
Central American countries, he was
received with a sort OF perfunctory po
liteness bv some. and in others no had
TO 0e guarded in order 10 prevent popu'
lar assaults upon him. The feeling in
some OF those Central American cOuu.
tries against the United states is very
bitter. This bitterness is undoubtedly
caused not 80 much by any idea tnst
the United States has designs upon
thom, but because the United states
does not 10 TO them what It pretends
20 the world at large that 1t is doing.
As explained by Mr.. William Baysro
company with Secretary Knox on his
! trip last spring, the do-nothing policy
/ OF the United States is held by the
people of those countries to be directly
blamable in view OF the claims that
this country makes. We warn all Eu-
ropesn Governments to keep hands of I;
/ and vet when riots, revolutions, muir
ders, and destruction of property oc
cur in the miserable instructions in
those countries, the United States, while
warding of Intervention of any kind
| by European powers, even 10 save life
| itself in that direction or its steps are
so uncertain and feeble that they do
not meet the case. As Mr., Hale says
in the World 8 Work:
We arc neglectinc them ourselves, and
We are forbidding anybody else to attend
10 them. That Is, we are encouraging
them 10 mlSbehave. Our standing notice
10 the world that no other power would
be permitted to interfere in any Amerl
can country has acted as an encourage
ment TO irresponsibllity in Latin America.
Secure behind our guarantee against pun
ishment from abroad and our unwilling
ness TO administer punishment ourselves,
suffering from our refusal TO let Europe
help them or TO help them ourselves,
most of the countries clustering around
the Caribbean have sunk into deeper and
deeper mircs OF misrule unma tched for
proflisacy and violence anywhere OH earth.
Revolution follows revolution, one bauG
OF brigands succeeds another, atrocl-
ties revenge atrocities. the plum
dered people grow more and more alb
ject In poverty and slavishuess. vast nat
ural resources lie neglected. while popu-
lations decrease, civilization reCedes. and
the jungle advances, national debts mount
10 incredible sums; and scores OF war
governments do their best 10 bring their
benevolent protector into conflict with the
great powers OF other continents.
That is plain, straightforward and
practical statement Of the case. 1t is
well exempli6ed in Nicaragua. where
the executive arm of the Government
has intervened to repair the neglect
and indifference of Congress TO the
insurrection in that country. 4 treaty
was negotiated with Nicaragua by the
administration (and a similar treaty
with Houduras.) whereby Americans,
under the guarantee of the United
States and OF Nicaragua, were 10 fur
nish money for the strengthening of
the Government and 20 be repaid by
the bonds of that country, the inter
est and principal OF which were 10 be
fixed liens upon the customs revenue
OF Nicaragua. The guarantee Of the
United States Government would in
that case, 90 precisely TO the same
length that the guarantee Of the United
toms dues upon imports in Santo Do
mingo. In this latter country con.
dition OF chaos prevJilr1, and British,
German. and French interests demand
ed that something be done by way OF
securing the debts and the payment
OF interest on loans that had been OBJ.
tanned by the Santo Domingo Govern
ment. The condition was sucb that
the United States was obliged either
to take charge of customs in Santo
Domingo or allow British, German.
and French syndicate 10 take charge
under the joint protectorate OF those
governments. The United States, in
pursuance Of the Monroe doctrine. de
elined to allow the European govern
ments TO take supervision But As me
Santo Domingans were TOO corrupt and
inefficient 10 administer their own Gus
toms collections, the United States was
Obliged 20 take hold and administer
them. The result has been e. .irely
satisfactory, interest payments have
been made promptly when due, and
sinking fund is being established for
the paving off of the principal OF the
debts.
Precisely the same thing was pro
vided for, the President has ex-
planned. IN the treaties with Honduras |
and Nicaragua, But the Senate alb |
soiuiely refused 20 ratify the treat !
les. because somebody had sneeringIy \
referred 10 them a. "dollsr diploma |
cy.'' The result was the insurrection, |
the threatening OF American life and |
property and destructive and murder |
on, raids upon foreigners generally. The /
President sent sailors and marines 10 4
protect ;He lives OF Americans and /
other forei ZBers and prevent the de. 4
struetion o. their property. precisely as
was his busiues, and right 20 do when |
invited 50 to DO by the Nicarnguan Gov. /
The Congress OF the United states /
b. decidedly bIamrworthv In its atti- 1
tgdc towards ali these feeble and ex /
pitaule peoples IL j. of course Inn