El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-08-05

/ wv The small war that Uncle San
is now finishing up in San Do
mingo is merely one incident Of what
bids fair to be a long series OF troubles
in that quarter. with no end in sight
Haiti. its twin republic. the two sharing
one island is equally a source of irri-
tation and anxiety to our government.
military interference there. as Will be
remembered. having been required only
a short time ago.
Politically speaking. il is a first class
puzzle The easy way to solve il would
! be to annex the island. which is a most
desirable piece of real estate; but this
would never do. because such action Of
the part of the United States would re-
awaken in every Latin-American coun-
try the chronic and half sIumbering
suspicion that we are greedy of more
territory.
American Millions Involved.
American capitalists have invested a
good many millions of dollars in Hal
tan railroads Hardly were the roads
( built when the government of Haiti
{ confiscated them. claiming that certain
conditions Of contract had not been full
filled by the owners. Uncle Sam. find
( ing that protests were Intellectual. was
obliged to undertake active interior
ence; marines were landed. there was
considerable shooting, and such other
trouble
San Domingo owed a lot OF money to
people over in Europe. and refused TO
pay Certain powers threatened 20 col
| iect forcibly what was due II was.
properly speaking. no affair OF Uncle
SANS but. rather than allow such in
reference. he stepped in. seized the Gus
tom houses. and appropriated 50 per
cent OF the customs receipts to liquidat-
ing all claims that We're found just.
Naturally. the people of san Domingo
i a~nF aanNH AN.r IL.
necessary, proceeding. and little war.
in which number Of American marines
were killed and wounded. has followed.
Second of Four Grent Antilles
The island is second in size OF the
four Great Antilles, ranking next to
Cuba in point of area The eastern
two thirds of it appears on the map as
the republic of san Domingo; the west
ern third is Haiti The population of
Haiti. over 1000. 900. is negro that of
San Domingo. $4,000. is mainly a mix
ture of Spanish and Indian. with an in
fusion OF black. and cOnsiderabl per-
centage of pure white. The two re-
publicS are as dissimilar in lanugage
traditions. and social ideas as are Spain
and France-the tongue OF san Domingo
being Spanish, while that of Haiti is
French
Columbus Loses Flagship There.
It was on this island that Columbus
established the first civilized settle
ment in the new world. There he lost
his flagship. the Santa Maria. the tim
bers from the wreck being used to build
stockade for defence against the ma
tives- Leaving behind him garrison
of 80 men, he sailed back to Spain to
carry the news of his great discovery.
On his return to the island he found
that his men had been massacred: but
he brought enough people with him TO
start a permanent colony, which he
called Isabella
Three Times size of Belgium.
The island is nearly three times the
size of Belgium. and only a little small
er than Portugal or Ireland. It is very
mountainous. but with innumerabie
sterams. lovely valleys. and fertile
plains Without difficulty it could sup
port 10 times its present population. An
American commission that explored il
in 1871 reported that it was zone of the
richest and most fertile regions on the
face of the earth" France when she
controlled it, got more profit out Of it