The New York herald., 1921-01-16
Order Established e d,
Natural Resources
Developed and Black
Republic NJ axes
Strides Toward Civ
ilization

been worked out and $500 miles of irrga-
ton bitches have been repaired. studies for
harbor improvements have been made the
business section of Port au Prince has been
paved, the water works of Port au Prince
and Aux Cages have been greatly improved,
telephone and telegraph lines have been ax
tended and repaired, the country has been
divided into sanitary districts under COM
petent official and free clinics established
hospitals have been improved, proper quar-
antine and INSPECTION established, mosquito
breeding swamps in the vicinity of cities
have been drained, and in general cam
paign has been carried on to teach the people
more sanitary habits.
One Of the features Of American occupa-
ton which has been most often condemned
by critics Of the American regime in Hayt
Is the so-called "corvee" or system of forced
labor on the roads Good roads being almost
unheard Of in Hayti, one of the first tasks
undertaken by the gendarmerie was the
building of ESQ miles Of road for wheel traffi,
from Port au Prince to Cape Haitien and
northeast to Ouanaminthe.
The laws of Hayti provided for the main
tenance and repair of highways "by the
inhabitants, in rotation. in each section
through which these roads pass and each
time repairs are necessary" The gen.
darmeries pressed the inhabitants into
vice, and as time went on people from
th road passed were forced to work upon
then. The opposition to the "corvee' sys-
tenn eventually became so great that 1t was
discontinued, though the law authorizing it
was not repealed.
Corvee System in Force Long
Before the American Occupation
Speaking of this system, Admiral Knapp
in his report to Secretary Daniels said:
rha xxrav NJ lr;r,
the American occupation for building roads,
The sole object of these roads was not mill
tary. although they undoubtedly had great
military value. The corvee system no
new thing brought about by the American
occupation. The corvee law stands on the
Haytian statute books, where it has been
since January /, 1865. Similar laws exist
or have existed in States Of our own coun-
try. personally believe the law to be a
good one If legally administered.
Criticism has been made Of acts of indi-
viduals, going to the extent Of saying that
murders and tortures have been committed.
There have been cases Of abuse of power on
the part of some junior officers of the gen.
darmerie and of the enlisted men. 1t has
been the policy to punish offenders, and
when such cases were known to the senior
officers it is my belief that the offenders
have been punished. few cases may exist
where the offences did not become known
until after the offenders had passed be-
yond reach.
Criticism has been heard of harsh meas
ures that were taken to retain laborers from
one section and force them to work in
others. am not yet in position either to
affirm or deny these accusations. If the
fact be admitted that laborers were forced
against their will and under military domi-
nation to work in sections of which they
were not inhabitants, 1t is strongly prob
able that they tired to escape from what
was virtual peonage and that the sub
ordinate officers and men Of the gendarmerie
in charge of them very probably were guilty
at times Of harsh measures to retain them
Admiral Knapp found that less than one
per cent of the total population of Hayti
is engaged in agitation against the United
States and that a majority are extremely
grateful to the Americans for restoring
order He believes it probable that 80 per
cent. of the people are quite indifferent as
to the form of their government so long as
it assures domestic tranquility and the
possibility Of enjoying the fruits OF their
labors. The population as a whole is dense
ly ignorant, the percentage of illiteracy be-
ing estimated as high as 81, and In addition
sthe mentality is of very low type. With
such population a fair election, in the
American sense, is an impossibility. The
mass of the people know nothing about
the matters on which they are voting or
about the principles on which their votes
are cast