Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-08-08
for which he was elected, the others
leaving Office always by being SHOT,
stabbed, poisoned or driven out.

stabbed, poisoned or driven out.
1t is probably because the unspeak
able abuses in Haiti have been com
mitted in the name Of liberty thai
the United States has been loath tc
interfere. Discussing the sort OF free
and democratic government maintain
ed in Haiti, one of the Oldest officials
Of the state department remarked:
'In a century of independence the
sole right which these people have
saved for themselves is the right Il
90 to the devil in the way they
choose. And they hold this to be
their dearest right. ANY other right
can be taken without protest, but let
it be insisted that they behave them
selves and they become worse than q
nest Of hornets
Apart from the humanitarian phas'
es of the Haitian problem, there are
considerations demanding action by
the United States which are of deep,
if not vital, importance to this gov.
eminent. Since the birth of the Ger.
man imperialistic policy in 1900 the
activities Of the Germans in Haiti
have made it more and more evident
that it was essential for the United
States to protect its interests in this
little island OF he Caribbean.
The harbor of Mole st. Nicholas j.
tle key TO the Haitian problem
| There the Germans have for years
been strengthening their grip, and
now control. practically all the trade
Many Germans have married native
Haitian in order to enable
them to own property on the island
1t is charged that they have financed
! one revolution after another, wleI
the government in power refused tt
abide by their will. In this way huge
debts have been piled on the repub
lie at high rates of interest, which
have steadily weakened the govern
ment and brought it further and fur.
Their into the clutches of those who
sought control.
When a government is in such de-
| plorable condition as have been the
last tWenty-odd governments of Hal
! ii, the money lender naturally owns
the body and soul. Whatever the
government possesses that the cred
itor wants he can take. And the
United States has begun to find it
very disagreeable to it's interests to
have the Germans in such relation
| ship to the harbor of Mole St. Nicho-
las, particularly since the Panama
canal was built.
In 1911, the United States first in.
sisted upon obtaining a representa-.
ton in the financial operations sus-
tanning the Haitina government. This
vas done on the same theory that
it was attempted in China, namely,
that if the United States had a di-
rect interest in loans, it could check
any move on the part of other credit
ors tiat were inimical to American
interests. The United States obtain.
ed a minority interest. The Europe
an interests, German and French,
prevailed.
When the 1911 measure proved I'M
successful by reason of a succession
of revolutions financed largely by the
Haitian merchants, the United States
contemplated consolidating the entire
debt of the republic, refunding j.
through a loan from a first-class Am.
erican house, reducing the rate OF
illCl CoJ 0O tl.LI IL III NC ACoo Jul
densome to the Haitian people, AMI
handling through American agents
the collection and disbursement of
the customs, in order to end the
grating which was running the coun.
try. $500.
The fact that such a scheme would
lave ended the grating was erCugb
to carr the, opposition OF all tie
Haitian politicians. Efforts We're re.
peatedly made to carry the scheme
through. Finally the European war
put a temporary end to European op,
position and TO- the French inter
ests are willing to sell out. But he
H%aitians are still opposed to the plan,
IMPRESSION D%lsPELLED.