Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-12
COLUMBUS ASHES
IN SANT0 DOMINGO
Scientists Now Think ExpIor-
er's Remains Never Re-
moved to Spain.

Christopher Columbus. in placing
the great western hemisphere on the
map of the world. left his impress
more deeply on what is now the Do
minican republic than on any other
bit of land in the new world" says
bulletin issued by the National Geo
| graphic Society. concerning this coun-
try whose wardship under the United
States has been under public discus
| sion recently.
The very name of the capital OF
the republic Santo Domingo. is fam
lily affair with the Columbuses." con-
| tinues the bulletin. The great dis
| coverer named for his father this
| first permanent city established by
| Europeans in the Americas. The
| same name is applied to the island of
which the republic is a part almost
! as commonly as its aboriginal name.
Haiti: and finally the paternaI name
is further perpetuated in that of the
| republic itself.
Holds Ashes of Columbus.
The remains of Columbus are be
: lieved by investigators who have ex-
amined the evidence in the case t.
! lie in the cathedral in Santo Do
| mingo City. The body of the dis
coverer was brought to the island
! of his early triumphs from Spain.
| where he died. and was placed beside
| that OF his son Diego. 1t WAS
|
| the remains of Christopher Columbus
when they transferred sovereignty of
| the island to the French in 1875. "
appears from later examinations oi
| the burial vaults of the cathedral.
! however, that the caSket which was
| borne in such great state from SanIo
Domingo to Havana at the end of the
| eighteenth century. ana from Havana
to Spain a hundred years later. con.
tanned instead the ashes of Diego, the
I son.
THE city of Santo Domingo grew
to be a wonderful place during the
early days of Spanish dominion, but
Columbus did not live to see much
| Columbus. however engraved The
| family name deeper on the city and
the country of which it was the cap
ital. setting up there court of such
regal splendor that it aroused the
Ienvy of the Spanish king.
Slaves Seize Power.
"Santo Domingo seemed destined to
become the busting metropolis of a
western empire. But it became the
victim of exploitation. After tur
bulent history, during which the ma
Tive Indians were eXterminated and
Thousands of African slaves were i'm
ported, the latter. assisted by mulat
ito freemen, rose, in the last years of
1.-THE eighteenth century, abolished
islavery, and drove their oppressors
from the island. Though the land of
the Dominican Republic reverted for
a while to Spanish control, and later
was conquered by the Republic of
Haiti. with which it shares the island.
lit established it's independence III 1874
land has retained it's individuality
lsince.
THE territory which now consti-
tutes the Dominican Republic has
|been subject at different periods to
a number. of nations. 1t has been
has been controlled at other times
by French. English and Haitians. The
spanish influence has been the strong
lest, and the language of Spain and
many OF its customs and institutions
are those Of the DominicanS of today.
THE Dominican Republic is peopled
| largely by mulattoes. While it has not
been as badly torn by revolution as the
black republic to the. west, its history
has by no means been one of peaceful
development. and assassinations and
coups have played their part in deter
mining the succession of its rulers.
Almost Annexed to L. s.
"a few years after the close of the
civil war in the United States the Do
minican Republic sought annexation to-
this country. President Grant sent a
commissioner to the island an anneXa-
ton treaty was drafted and adopted by
the Dominican senate, and its accept
lance by the American Senate was rec
commended by our President The Sen
ate failed to act favorably on the matter
and Santo Domingo has continued its
Independent existence. The country has
been assisted by the United States
however, in the administration of its
| fiscal affairs since 1905.
after it had entered financial straits
| and foreign creditors were threatening
| Intervention, President Roosevelt ar
ranged a treaty under which an Amcri-
| can collector of customs was appointed.
A certain part of the collections has
been paid to the Dominican government
and the remainder into fund from
which creditors are paid