El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-11

~ Haiti is the one place in chrlsten-
= dom where black rules white. Here
the negro has had the opportunity Oh
working out his own destiny ne Aa7
won for himself independence, ana uuL-
inR,a long term Of years mas peeh sOe
ernfng himself according TO MS own NJ
ton Haiti is a republic IN name az
is organized in emulation or the Cullel
States and voOdOOism is its greatest
curse 1t won its independence rom
the French, massacred al OF tHe
French women and chlIdIeu III -
country. and yet its INSTRUCTORS ~
French. its language Deat5 Cocl-1av
same relation to French that COS S5ISS
English bears to the tongue or ona
sDere and Milton. and its people IKE 70
read the news from Paris better LnaH
that from any other OF the "oi-'
itals.
The mast history of Haiti IS exceed
fnelv dark Between ASSASSINATION, az
dication and suicide. perhaps tw1-
thirds of its presidents ended 49, 49,
terms violently. But today the ma lltlilS
believe a new era has daWheu- ll-S5
see in president Comte, VINO suCCS-
ed. NOrd Alexis after ms -11is
a man who will give the country Iut9
of peace instead Of a reign OF terror. -
fs but inst TO say that he mas sIaElSu
out auspiciOusly. although JhdL iAISHl
be slightly misleading, We 81
added that others before him nave CIV
given promise of wholesome RUE a. lHe
Beginning ana have failed signally In
Knox Was Impressed.
When secretary Knox talked Win
president Comte he was rather I'M.
pressed with the showing made Dy lhs
new ruler. The most gratlIS ING lA-OL
nation he gave TO Mr. Knox was 1.lat
he had already reduced the army OF IHe
republic from 1 G, 900 20 5000 ana tnat ne
hOped he would yet be able 10 cut II
down to $500. He may not nave
caused his generals to beat their /" oIus
into pIOwshaues but he declares ne mas
caused dozens OF them TO lay down
their commissions as military leaders
and TO take up new ones as meLlDeLS U
the street Improvement force NV
have a great many generals DreahlAs
rock on the street" said he, and hope
to add others
Secretary Knox reminded him that
Haiti is a rich country, and tnat Whal
is needed is a long era OF peace-nOt
only peace internal, but peace with
Haitis fellow inhabitant Of the island
-SantO Domingo. President ComIe
quickly COmprehended what M mos
was driving at and responded Jhal
while IL was true that most Of the guns
found in the hands Of the revolut1onlsIs
in the Dominican republic were HAITIAN
guns they were there in spite OF the
Haitian government and not LnrOusu
any purpose Of Haiti TO aid or abet the
Dominican revolution he said Inat IN
the succession Of wars in Haiti II was
Inevitable that thousands OF STANDS OF
arms hOuId fall into the hands or unau-
thorized persons and that these arms
were now being struggled across the
line into SantO Domingo. he prom
ised to use every effort TO prevent Hal
tians from giving aid and comfort 70
either OF the cOntending factions In
SantO Domingo
Confidence In President Comte.
The foreign element in Haiti believes
that president COmte is animated oy'
correct motives. and that il he conJn-
Uies as he has begun Haiti will cease 10
be revolution swept one American
who has been in business in Haiti Tor
So years. says that COmte IS starting
his administration better than any OF
his predecessors in all that time
Rural Districts UudeveIOped.
Conditions in Port au Prince are bad
enough. but they are said 10 be better
than one finds elsewhere in the repub-
lie. The other cities are innocent OF
sanitation, and the rural districts are
UndevelOped- The people OF the wnoIe
island are VOOdOO WOrShipperS- cit mas
Eeen said that the first act OF every
nation in starting a new colony IS
typical Spain builds a church, England
opens a bank, Germany sets up store
France starts cafe. and the United
States looks after sanitation Haiti
IS somewhat French and distinctly IN
American The only reason all Its CIT
les are not dead is BECAUSE men become
immune 10 germs
Haiti has a navy Of which its people
are proud The flagship Of the Ilset Is
the old Italian cruiser Etruria- Wnen
she was ready for the scrap pile she
was sold to q German junk dealer Tor
song. He got into touch with HalJldA
government, which finally bought her
At 100000. She was brought over un-
der a German merchant flag and deliv-
cred Now the Haitians would sell ner
for $4,000. One may get an impression
OF the patriotism Of the people OF 1alI
from a conversation with q boy VINO IS
a gunner on the Etruria- he SAID Jndt
when the United States sent one or our
cruisers into the harbOr last year she
was afraid TO tackle the Etrurla- A
sailor Of the Washington, TO WnOm ne
was talking. replied that the United
states could whip the Etrurlo , WIN OLle
of the WashingtOn's steam Launches I
Asked the size OF the guns on board
the Etruria. the Haitian gunner nest
tated The Washington sailor asked I
him IL the largest guns were not IL /
inch ones He thought moment and Z
then replied that they had blgger guns I
than that. the biggest ones being p
inch Yet if all his associates We're as J
ignorant as he they would not have
hesitated TO engage Florida or q !
North Dakota at close range
Many Surprises.
There is many laugh in the thou
sand and one little surprises that come
10 the visitor to Haiti Some of them
seem more fitting for the burlesQue
stage than for a government When
one of the revolutions succeeded some
7,,,r,bosa5 a ticket Las Cruces. and
after 'hittin the snow started OH He
arrived in the New Mexico town, and
S---.-S - borrsa mentioned in the