Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-21
j. s. OCCUPATION"
! GETS COLBY REPLY
Benevolent Purpose Behind
/, Nation in Haiti and Santo
Domingo, He Says.

While not replying directly to re-
cent charges by Senator Harding, the
republican presidential nominee. that
the administration was conducting
Unconstitutional warfare" against
Haiti and Santo Domingo, Secretary
Colby has issued a statement defend
ing the American occupation of those
countries as being guided by mo
thought except to help" their inhab
itantS.
Mr.. Colby's Statement.
This country" says the Secretary
OF State. sis engaged in a task which
has only benevolent purpose. 1t is
a task which was undertaken for the
benefit of the Haitian people and with
their acQuieScence the task was de-
fined in n treaty entered into by the
two countries. The work which the
United States undertook to do is near
ing completion and upon it's compile
tion this government hopes to with
draw and leave the administration of
the island to the unaided efforts of
the Haitian people.
THE United States has not confined
its energies entirely to the announced
purposes of it's occupation. and as a
result thereof complete tranquility
exists throughout the republic. The
Haitian revenues are greatly i'm
proved and much progress has been
made in road construction. port works,
establishment of telegraphs. etc.
American Results.
These results have been brought
ABOUT by Americans appointed under
the provisions of the treaty, and from
every quarter in Haiti, with the ex-
cepton of a few centers of selfish
and interested agitation, credit and
gratitude are freely manifested and
expressed to this government
The cOnrSo of fbis no, hoon
moderate and dictated only by the
desire to meet its duties and not in
any degree to go beyond them. Had
less been done, this country would
duty and might have been exposed to
sound criticism.
mo assistance or support has been
given the National City Bank in Haiti
other than that which would be ex-
tended to any first-class American
bank in any foreign country.
The National City Bank does not
control directly or Indirectly the Gus
toms collections, nor is it the finan-
cial arbiter of Haiti. 1t exercises no
control of loans, exchange rates or
commercial transactions. as has been
charged"
Salaries to BE Withheld.
In addition to the issue of this
statement, the Secretary of State has
Informed G. Baran, Haitian minister
of foreign affairs, that the salaries
OF the president and other high Off
Gals of the Haitian government,
which have been withheld since last
June, would be so withheld until the
native government ceased to inter-
pose obstacles to the carrying out
of certain provisions of the treaty
entered into at the time Of this coun-
try's occupation of the island. The
American government informed the
Haitian minister Of foreign affairs
that it could expect no relief from
this action until the Haitian govern
ment adopted less antagonistic atti-
tude toward the American authorities.
Protest Is Made.
Protest against American interven-
tion in Santo Domingo was made in a
statement last night by Julio NJ.
Cestero, representing the Dominican
junta in the United States. Refer
ring to the recent declarations by
Senator Harding and Secretary of the
citizens of the Dominican Republic
have never sought the present Amer
lean intervention and have never
ceased to ask for Restoration Of their
freedom and sovereignty"
'The Dominican legitimate claim to |
never been yielded" he asserted, land. |
as a special commission sent to the
country by the American Federation
of Labor reported, it is the upper
most thought in the minds of our
people.
1--WE trust that the government of
the United States will soon recog-
nize our Just claims, SO that the peo-
pie of the Dominican Republic can
cooperate anew with the people of
the United States in carrying for
ward the Dominican ideal"