Charlevoix county herald., 1920-11-12
HAITI: MAGIC ISLE OF
THE INDIES

Picture an island more wonderful
more beautiful and more richly en-
lowed by nature even than the tabled
isles that medieval mariners loved 10
dream about; country of pleasant
peaks, charming wales and 1eruie
plains; an idyllic land set In summer
sea.
Picture then land where the ava
rice of conquerors, ruthlessly exploit
ing, has blasted promises of progress;
where the passions of men have run
riot; where tyrant after tyrant, some
great, some petty, have waded to
power through pools of blood; land
from which the gods of peace and in
dustry Seem to have turned away.
Both are pictures of Haiti, the rela-
tions between which country and the
United States are now under discus
sion.
To avoid confusion 1t must be ex-
planned at the outset that the name
Haiti is used sometimes to denote the
entire island, which is the second larg-
est land mass in the West Indies,
sometimes TO denote merely the Re
public of Haiti, which occupies the
western third of its area. The posi-
bilities of confusion are increased by
the fact that the island is also known
as Santo Domingo and San Domingo,
names applied likewise to the Domini-
can Republic, which occupies the east
IL al. .,tafN
The name Haiti is much used be-
cause it was the descriptive term,
meaning thigh land" given to the
island by its aborigines. This was the
favorite island of the West Indies to
Columbus, who reserved for it the most
complimentary name bestowed on the
lands which he discovered-Hispan-
lola, "little SPAIN" Something of the
impression which this beautiful and
promising island made on the great
discoverer can be CLEANED from his
reference to it as Garden of Eden"
and from the fact lthat he named the
point at which he first set foot In
Haiti, December 6, 1892, ''the Vale of
Paradise"
History has been prodigal to the
island of Haiti and has crowded one
interesting and tragic event after an
other into the relatively short span of
years since the eyes of white men first
beheld its towering peaks. On its
northern coast, near the present Cape
Haitien, the Santa Maria, which bore
Columbus to the new world was
wrecked on Christmas eve, 1892, and
from its broken, historic boards was
set up by the crew the first structure
erected by Europeans In the western
hemisphere. This was the fortress of
Navidad, in which the men of the
Santa Maria were killed while Column
bus was on his return voyage to Spain
TO report his epoch-making discovery
of "the Indies"
Farther TO the east on the northern
coast of the island Columbus built on
his return the first white settlement In
the new world, naming the little town
Isabella" for the queen who had
made his voyage of discovery possible
On this second trip Columbus brought
with him to his magic isle a great feet
bearing a large force of soldiers and
Adventures. After defeating the ma
tives the conquerors journeyed to the
south coast and there laid the foun-
dations of the city Of Santo Domingo
first permanent city established by Eu-
rOpeans in America, for many years
the most important outpost of western
civilization, and forerunner of the
countless cities and villages that are
the seats today Of the industry, com
merce and culture of the three Amer.
icas.