The Monticellonian., 1915-09-30

M mercial situation in practically
 M every civilized country in the
 world is a fact well known to everyone at all conversant with international trade conditions. Natu- rally the republics of the western hemisphere are no exception. Every one Of them has felt the disastrous ef fleets, but not in equal nor even in proportionately equal measure. Nearly all of them Lave experienced a large diminution iii their export trade, and consequently decrease in purchasing power and resultant diminution i'll their imports. One remarkable ex- ception is the Dominican Republic, says the Bulletin of the Pan-American union. That little country enjoys the distinction of having sold more of it's products, in point of value, to the outside world during the year 1914 than it did during 1913. The in creased value of it's exports was only $11S,S40, but that it should have in- creased it's sales at all is an astound- ing fact. It's purchases from other na- tions during the year were consider ably less, but the net result is that the country has made material financial gain
 The Dominican Republic is one of the smallest of the American repub- lies, with an area of about 19,325 square miles, This is nearly equal to the combined areas of New Hamp- shire and Vermont It has a popula- tiOn of between six and seven hundred thousand inhabitants. Haiti is the adjoining republic and the two to- gether comprise the island called by the first Spanish discoverers "Isla Els panola" and now sometimes called "Santo Domingo" and sometimes Haiti" Within the limits of what is now the territory of the Dominican Republic was located by Columbus the first settlement of Europeans in the new world. This settlement was called .Isabella,' after the queen of Castle, the friend and patroness of Columbus. The first Spanish settle ment, like Jamestown the first Eng fish settlement, no longer exists ex- cept as ruin. In fact, Isabella" disappeared few years after it's foundation. The modern city of Puer- to Plata is located near the former site of the old settlement. The oldest ex- isting settlement of Europeans in the western world is likewise located in the Dominican Republic. This is the capital city, Santo Domingo.
 One of Worlds Richest Spots.
 The Dominican Republic, in fact the whole island is naturally one of the richest spots in the world. The soil is remarkably fertile and pro- duces luxuriously. On the north coast, in the province of Monte Cristi, near the Haitian border, the soil is well adapted for cotton raising. and there is a very considerable acreage devoted to this industry, backed by American and English capitalists. The cotton is of fine quality, and the yield per acre is much greater than that in our southern states.
 Puerto Plata, an important port of the north, is town of some 10000 or 12,000 inhabitants. connected by |. railway, running south, with the towns of the fertile Caibo region Santiago de los Caballeros, La Vega, and Moca. These towns are located in the great agricultural regions of the republic, where the famous cacao bean is cultivated. Tobacco also is grown to considerable extent, and has had until recently ready market in Hamburg. Other ports of impor- tance are Samana and Sanchez, in the beautiful Samana bay. This bay is famous for it's size and picturesque scenery. It is about % miles long by miles wide. with a depth of water sufficient to float the largest bat tleships. Our North Atlantic squad ron has frequently gone there for ma neuvers. At the entrance to the bay is the town of Samana, and at the head is Sanchez, connected with the interior by the Sanchez & Moca rail- way, a Scotch enterprise. for dis tance of 40 miles
 San Pedro de Macoris is the sugar port of the republic. In and around ~-~-o~-e-o~-~-~~~~--~-~-~ n-o-~-~-~~