Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-14
THE RESTLESS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ny FREDERIC J. HAsI<IN

W H''Iii-NtioN. ID. c.. June l3.--ThC
restless Dominican Republic is boiling
over again. and internal affairs have
reached Il pass where the United States
has been forced to take an active hand.
our marines have landed. there has
been guerrilla lighting with some
American loss, revolutionary bands
have been routed by our forces. and
the crafty native politician is Shrek
inS for his countrymcn TO i>sc against
American Intervention. This rich lit :
t!c country has proved a fruitful source
OF worry and annoyance to tn. United
states IN the past. and will evidently.
continue to do so for some tim. In III.
future.
There Is apparently no special sig
ntilcancc TO be attached TO the pres
ont situation. our marines viii be
withdrawn rs soon as matters have
once more uuieted down and the old
status has been restored under a new
dominican president. But We viii still
be in a position Of rcspousibilty for
the pence and order OF the nation.
Under the terms Of recent treaty.
Uncle sam holds the pursc-.trlngs OF
the republic, and is responsible fo,
the payment OF It's debts. An Amcrl-
can receiver collects the customs and
II Is largely due To American courage
toms to collect
Our present position in the Domini-
can Republic dates back TO 1905. but
It's terms We're drawn up and formally
ratified in the document under which
we enjoy our present doubtful priv
ilcres and attendant duties. known as
the American Dominican Convention OF
1907 The Sist of this convention is
that the customs OF the republic are
put in american hands, part OF the
resultant revenues TO 90 toward the
payment of interest on the national
bonds and the establishment of "A sink
ing fund for their eventual payment.
the remainder to he turned over 10 the
Dominican government for running eX-
penscs One little fact In this conncc-
ton casts "A significant light on the
past troubles Of the Dominican re-
public. In the first month OF Amcri-
can customs administration, about half
Of the moneys collected were turned
over TO the government. And that half
was larger sum than the entire rev
cnuc which had been collected for sim
liar periods under the old regime.
Problem Forced on IL.
Like the rest OF our responsibilities
10 the southwark. the Dominican prob
lem was forced upon US. The Domini-
can Republic has been notable for the
frequency OF its revolutions even among
the little countries OF It's neie hborhood,
respect. The centuries Of the repub
lies history are one long record of in
tcrnal diSSension. In 1882 negro
named Clises Hcureaux rose to power,
:; man who enforced the doctrine OF the
iron fist, n Dominican Diaz There was
plenty of trouble in his long admins
tration, hut he held the reins until
1899. With his assassination. revoiu
ton followed revolution. Each tenn
porary dictator pledged the revenues
Of the state To borrow money. The
credit of The republic fell rapidly. AZ
ter six years OF this, the little country
owed more than S30,0O0,0G0.
Much OF this was owed to four great
European powers The Dominican Re-
public occupies two-tiHrds of the island
of Haiti probably the richest, after
Porto Rico, of the West Indian group
The European powers concerned show
ed themselves by no means unwilling
10 take care of their interests by TAX
ing charge OF the republics affairs.
They had agreed among themselves on
the division they would make of the
ports. Most important of these is
Samana, on SANTANA Bay.
SANTANA Bay is one of the most per-
feet harbors in the world, capable of
accomm odating half dozen battle
fleets, and easily fortified. 1t COM
mands the Mona Passage, which is the
direct route from Europe to the Pana-
!
rs of first Importance. Influenced by
this consideration as we'll by the
Monroe Doctrine. the United States took
the only step possible under the cir
cumstanccs and stepped in. We guar
antced the debt and in turn took over
the customs. Many of the bonds had
been issued at heavy discount ow-
ing TO the poor credit OF the republic
so that once backed by United States
credit the actual Indebtedness scaled
down to S17,000.000.
Faced Difficult Task.
The men who took over the customs
administration faced one of tho most
difficult and dangerous little tasks on
record The cruX of the situation lay
along the Haitien frontier The Do
minican republic has only one land
boundary. that separating II from Haiti
Between the two republics is Il chronic
ill-fecing. and the location of the
boundary was holly disputed. 1t runs
through 160 miles of mountainous coun-
try as wild and unciviliZed as any to
be found OF earth to-day. All along
the line smugglers operated freely. as
they had been operating for centuries,
bringing goods across from Haiti
There was no use in-putting American
collectors in the Dominican ports as
long as the Haitian frontier was omen,
TO patrol that frontier was regarded
as n task well-nigh impossible. The
common people Of the district are quite
distinct from the Haitians across the
border, most of whom are negroes Tho
lower-class Dominicans of the interior
are almost pure Garth Indians. Span
ish speaking, a fighting race They
regarded smuggling as ono of their
vested rights, and indeed IL was tho
business on which many of them de-
pending for living. That Haitian
frontier was certainly the unhealthiest
place Imaginable for a revenue Off
Ger.
The Americans established the From.
tier EuHlOma SarXioa