The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-11-11
HAITI: MAGIC ISLE OF
THE INDIES

more beautiful and more richly en-
doved by mar Ire even than the tabled
isles that medieval mariners loved 70
dream about country of pleasant
peaks. charming Wales and fertile
plains an idyilic land SET IN n summer
sea.
Picture then a land where the ava
rice OF conauerors. ruthlessty exploit
ing, has blasted promises Of progress:
where the passions ~ men have run
riot; wheru tyraut after tyran,. some
great some petty, have waded 10
power through pools M blood; u land
from which the gods of peace and in
dustry seeis 10 have turned away.
Both are pictures 81 Haiti. the Feia-
lions between which country and the
United States are now under discus
sion.
To avoid confusion 1t must be Rx-
planned at the ourset that the name
Haiti Is used sometimes to denote the
entire island, which Is the SECOND lnTE-
est land mass in the West Indies,
sometimes to denote merely the Re
public Of Haiti. which occupies the
western third OF it's area. The pessi-
bilities of confusion are increased by
the fact thst the island rs also knows
as Santo Domingo and San Domingo,
names applied likewise 10 the Domini-
can Republic. which occupies the east
ern two-thirds Of the land unit.
The name Haiti in much used be-
cause II was the descriptive term,
meaning high land" given to the
island by Its sboriginee. This was the
favcrite island OF the West Indies 10
Columbus, who reserved for il the most
complimentary name bestowed on the
lands which he Recommendations
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 Il as p Garden OF Eden"
and frem the fact that be named the
point at which he frst set feot In
Haiti, December 9, 1892. "ths Vale Of
Paradise"
History has been prodiEai to the
island IF Haiti aud has crowded enc
interesting and tragic event after an
ether into the relatively short span Of
years since the eyes Of white men FIRST
beheld its towerin. peaks On it's
northern coast. near the present Cape
Hsitien. the Santa Maria, which bore
Columbus TO the new world, was
wrecked on Christmas eve. 1892, and
from it's broken. historic boards was
set up by the crew the first structure
hemisphere. This was the fortress Of
Navidad, in which the men Of the
Santa Maria were killed while Colum-
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 Oh
his return the FIRST white settlement in
the new world naming the little town
Isabella" for the queen who bad
made his voyage OF discovery possible
On this second trip Columbus brought
with him To his magic isle a great fleet
bearing large force of soldiers and
a6ventHFers After defeating the M
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
tho most important outpost Of western
civilization, and forerunner OF the
countless cities aud villages that are
the seats today Of The industry. com
merce snd culture of the three Amer
teas.