Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-17
CARRYING OUT UNIQUE EXPERT
MENT IN sANTo DOMINGO
AND HAITI.
GOVERNMENTS BEING
RAPIDLY REHAelLlTATED
Intervention Found Necessary to Pre-.
vent Countries From Being Seized
by Angry European Creditors -
Sanitation One Of First Endeavors
Since Intervening.

eminent to be found in the world to-
day is being conducted by the United
States. 1t is being tried out in the
island Of Haiti, upon which are located
the black republic of Haiti and the
nulatto republic Of Santo Domingo
The nature Of the experiment and the
causes which led up to this unique
government venture are set forth in
bulletin issued by the National
Geographic Society.
After a century of effort to main
tain itself as a separate, independent
sovereign nation, Santo Domingo IN
1905 found itself about 10 fall vic
TIM to its own excuses" says the bull
letin. Revolution had followed revo-
luton almost with clocklike regularity.
There were assassinations, betrayals,
Conspiracies, wars within and wars
without-war with Haiti over bound
airy questions and civil war over the
control of the government. Debts were
piled up without thought Of the day
of payment or even provisions Tor
meeting the interest charges.
Day Of Reckoning Comes.
so long and go steady was the orgy
o. revolution, speculation. debt making
and interest,", lodging that the nations
credit grew worse than that OF its in
dividual citizens. Finally. the day OF
reckoning came. Foreign warships APP
preached ports whose harbors had
given refuge TO the great discoverer
Columbus and whose capital city still
contains what undoubtedly are his
ashes. and demanded that the claims
Ct their subjects be satisfied-claims
for money advanced. claims for inter-
est accumulated. claims for property
wantonly destroyed-and they de-
manded it at the point of big naval
guns.
In a predicament from which they
ere powerless to eNtricate them
selves. the Dominicans were ready
enough to negotiate a treaty turning
over the control OF the country's GUS
IONS to the United States r. in re-
turn therefor thu CnitpI States would
protect them from angry European
creditors and reJuvenate their treas
ury.
United States Steps In.
and so it was that in 1905 the
United States undertook TO serve as
treasurer Of Santo Domingo and to
vouch for her debts. The tariff was
quickly revised. the American authors
ties urging duties laid on luXuries
rather than upon necessities. upon the
things of the rich rather than upon
those Of the poor. The tariff as a whole
was cut down. the general reduction
being 80 per cent on export taxes and
Is per cert on import duties.
And yet in spite &c this great re-
6uction. in spite Of payments OF
81. 100000 year on the debt. there was
s.iIl left greater net income for the
use of tha government than i. had
ever had before.
Intervention Necessary.
"For long time 1t was thought that
deprived of the opportunity OF secur-
ing customhouse revenues thru the
seizure of ports. revolutions could not
support themselves. But after six or
seyen years Of peace trouble broke out
again. and during 1914 and 1915 it be-
came so serious that the United States
was forced to intervene in behait OF
peace and TO demand, with marines on
shore and naval guns trained and
pointed on the ports, that the country
return to a state Of quiet. And so To-
gay the Dominicans, realizing that the
Monroe doctrine Is determined 10
afford them protection from their own
excuses, their own bitter passions ano
blind purposes, have accepted the in
ayitable and have secured the blessings
fney
could not attain that end themselves
Ii is reluctant acquiescence they yieio
but wholesome one, none the less.
1T has not been without effort OF
without expense. nor yet without tht
actual sacrifice OF blood and lie tna'
our country has stepped in to play the
-clo re good samaritan to the peoples
OF Santo Domingo. Haiti and MICA
raeua. who had lost the blessings OF
peace and. ere unable to regain them
In Haiti alone We lost one officer ano
six marines and had NUMBER
wounded But out Of this altrMstle
effort are growing results OF Wnlcn q
ration that covets no territory, tna'
seeks only its own security ana wei
fare of its unfortunate neighbors, may
well be proud.
Reduced the Death Rate.
"Jn Porto Rico we have reduced the
death rate from As per 1000 to ls pei
! 600, and beginning along the same
lines is being made in these ne"
fields Of American endes vor. In Porto
Rico wages have increased from II
cents to Is cents, and stable conditions
show encouraging results in the same
| = rection In our new ward lands. In
Porto Rico the school attendance
| jumped from 20 to more than S5, anc
| these new wards are trying to follow
Porto Rico's path.
| wherever America has gone
whether to Cuba, whether to Panama
| whether to Santo Domingo, Porto RICO
Nicaragua. the Philippines. or HAITI
| the welfare of the people has been mel
first concern and while all colonia
history shows that the tares OF evil arr
never absent from the wheat OF good
our nations record Of help given where
most needed is one that well may
| challenge our admiration and quicker
our patriotism.
"The success in Santo Domingai
customs administration led to ex
pertinent along the same line rev
years later. Nicaragua became revo'
luton torn. resulting in the overthrow
! of Zeiaya and the conversion OF th'
country from an unspeakable despot
| ism into one Of ruinous anarchy
/ Rival factions issued fiat money a.
| freely as tap water flows from spigot
! The treasury was bankrupt, interes
was in default, foreign creditors wer'
threatening to collect their debts will
i gunboats and cruisers. and there wa