The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-14
|STAY IN HAITI,
ADVISES KNAPP
Says Withdraw | Of ]. S. Would
Be Grave Error.
SUBMITS HIS FINAL REPORT
Rear Admiral Declares Agitators
Against Present Arrangement Mere
ly Seek to Exploit Country.

| Washington, Feb. 14.-Thc United
States having put its hand to the
p'ow" in Haiti, must not now turn
| back through withdrawal of American
| forces. Rear Admiral II. S. Knapp de
| cl%red in a report in which he present
| ed. i'll final form. results of his inveS-
! LEGATIONS in the island republic for the
navy and state departments.
| Agitation against American occuYl-
ton I'll Haiti, Admiral Knapp asserted,
| is inspired by Il desire on the part of
a S!Hal group, who. he said, represent
| ed 1T the most less than per cent
OF the population. This group Of agi-
! tatorS. he added, is working to gain a
| airing and the sympathy Of the peo-
| i Of the United States, although their
| zeal object Is to obtain abr0gation of
| he treaty between the United States
| md Haiti, and to bring about return
OF the old conditions of government.
| Gould this be attained" Admiral
| NHapD'S report continues, Il think that
! 900 out of every 1000 HaitianS would
! be glad to see the American forces re-
main to enforce good order. In other
words, the HaitianS, even the worst
aSitatorS among them. would he will
! ing TO have the United States act the
Fart Of policeman, and otherwise leave
| them to their own devices.
The % per cent would he exploited
| far the dishonest benefit of the ; per
cent if these ends were attained. The
81 per cent would enjoy less real free
, Com than they do now.
SHOULD the United States now With
draw. leaving the political agitatOrS
| to their own devices, it would, in my
| opinion, be surrendering the true in
| tereStS and true freedom of % per cent
OF the population and encouraging The
| unworthy minority to 60 on with it's
! dishonest, aSbitrary, tyranrical meas
pres While it is probably impossible
! 10 state that graft does not how exist,
| ii is concealed graft, unknown tn the
! United States treaty officials.
The people of the United States
. the admiral's report says, should not
| allow themselves to be deceived by the
words Republic of Haiti into belicv-
! ing that there exists in Haiti, or ever
: has. Il republic in any sense, founded
! upon the expressed will Of an intelli-
/ gent and educated electorate. The So
called Republic of Haiti, left to itself,
! has been a tyranniCal oligarChy, in
which those in power fattened upon
| the vast mass of the population, while
| those of the governing class ont Of
/ power sought every opportunity to get
| into power, by fair means or foul, with
/ the same corrupt personal ends in
/ View.
ANY idea of Haiti conceived on the
basis of the surroundings of the aver
age citizen of the United States-who
: is more or less educated, and who
! lives under regime of law which
makes impossible his being exploited
by governing class and insure secur-
--ity- of his life and property--is nt - :
+ false under the actual conditions,
! is a Judgment of happenings in HAITI
| founded upon such an idea.
"Tranquility and security now exist
in Haiti practically throughout the
country From all that l can gather,
persons can move about the republic
IN their lawful occasions without fear
of molestatition. This is the direct
result of armed American intervention.
1.-THE gendarmerie is q fine inSti-
rution. Under its present direction,
It Is combining its activities within
/ their legitimate scope, that OF the po-
lice agency of Haiti. 1t is increasing
/ in efficiency"