Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-06-16

well-nigb impossible The common people of the dis
ric are quite from the Haitiens across the
border most of whom negroes The lower class
of the interior almost pure CARP IN
dams, Spanish speaking, fighting race They regard
smuggling of their vested rights ana lhoeeo
IL was the business which many OF them oepenoeo
for living That Haitien frontier certainly the
unhealthiest place imaginable for revenue oncer'
The Americans established the Frontier Customs
Service to handle the problem. Mr.. H. F. Worley was
its first chief and the white man to follow ths
boundary between Haiti and the Dominican repuo-
lie shore of the island to the NORTH
On this trip he was twice ambushed arrested by
Haitiens for being what they claimed was Haltien
territory contracted variety of tropical diseases
travelled continual threats of death from the
enraged smugglers. but by combination OF courage
determination ard good luck, succeeded In coming
through alive. United States he is plain Mr.
worley but in republic he is lieuten-
ant-generaI found advisable that the Ameri-
cans who administered these border customs should
hold office under Dominican republic so that the
people might regard them in the light Of foreign
invaders
Mr. worley established three customs houses on the
frontier assisted by half dozen American ohcers
and frontier guard Dominican soldiery proceeded
to stamp smuggling The magnitude of the task
be imagined, in country populated by an litter
ate people almost without roads, mountainous and
thickly wooded, where there dozen old estab-
lisbed gangs of bandits and smuggIers. where the
natives ordinary costume included knife, machete'
sawed-of rifle and a revolver. Like the hills OF
Corsica half century irregular fighting In this
district everyday AFFAIR A single mCluehI
will illustrate the character of the gentle native
Political feeling high among the people, and
certain is solid for certain leader or party
There are no mnorities; the minority into the
next district from a certain district rode down
to the bounry of neghboring and opposition district
There he a stranger When they picked him up
he wounded in dozen places and the stranger
was dead. What did you fight about?" they asked
him as they picked him up "Oh, nothing, he replied
81 asked him if he 'guapo (Which may be freely
translated nervy 'gameO He said he was" The
survivor looked his wounds. He was guapo' he
admitted with sigh
Men such as these could counted to put up
stiff resistance to revenue officers especially they
felt that the right all their side. All of the
five American officers of the frontier guard shot
time another, more or less seriously Several
members of the guard were killed in the first year
have saying that sums up the whole works of the
force Not bird can fly across the frontier
without permit" they say
The presence of American marines in Haiti
year proved a great relief to the frontier guard by
breaking up the large gangs of lawbreakers on the
liaten side.
AS result frontier work, and of honest and
efficient administration of the collections the ports
the revenues have increased greatly The republic
is paying interest its debt and its finances
condition. Unfortunately. revolution again
broken and revolution always means failing of
imports and exports and corresponding decrease
in revenue. it is likely the present dis
turbance will be of long duration.
Meanwhile the local demagogues trying to make
capital the presence of American marines shout
ing that the nation should go into mourning in the
presence of foreign Intervention. every who
has a rudmentary capacity judgment and
no to grind must realize that what connection the
United has with Dominican republic is
only absolutely but thing that
happened to that country.