The mirror., 1922-05-18

tervention took place. Strong forces of
marines occupied the capital and the prin-
cipal strategic points, the recalcitrant
Dominican government was abolished,
and United States military government
was set up. AS in Haiti, certain amount
of fighting took place in the remote dis
tricts, but the Dominican rebels were
easier to handle than the Haitian cacos.
A native constabulary officered by Ameri-
cans soon supplemented the marines, and
before long the Dominican Republic was
pretty thoroughly pacifed. Thus by 1917
both parts of the island of Santo Domingo
had become American protectorates, oc-
cupied and effectively controlled.
The results of American control have
proved strikingly favorable. Both Haiti
and the Dominican Republic are enjoying
unprecedented prosperity. Municipal gov
ernments, sanitation, good roads, schools
and other innovations together with the
blessings of peace, order and prosperity
are teaching the Haitians and the Domi-
cans the value of regulated, civilized
life; and in time those lessons should have
salutary results. Of course our admins
tration has not been perfect. Mistakes
have been made-mistakes that the small
class of noisy politicians and would-be
revolutionists who are forever declaiming
about their "lost liberties" and melting the
ignorant masses against American rule
have capitalized. But no such arguments
as they present should blind us to the fact
that American control should continue for
at least a generation if Santo Domingo is
not to relapse into the morass of poverty
and misgovernment from which we
dragged it few years ago. The out
standing lesson that the history of the
island teaches is that the people have been
incapable of self-government. The edu-
Gated, well-intentioned upper class is too
few in numbers and too lacking in strong
moral fibre to keep the reins of govern
ment in its own hands. Even if it were
placed in control, the ever-watchful "gen-
erals" and their brutal "armies," composed
Of the desperadoes of the country districts
and the vicious rabble of the towns, would
supplant it as soon as we had evacuated
the island. The sole motive of those agi-
tators, who are absolutely without princi-
pie, is their lust for power and plunder;
and, since the country is too poor to satisfy
the appettes of all of them at the same
time, there would always be a gang of
"outs' envious of the Gins" and determined
to safe their appetites at any price. In
other words, the wretched cycle of revolu-
tions would soon be in full swing once
more.
Of course that does not mean that as
conditions improve we should not grant
larger measures of self-government and
restrict the sphere of our direct control. In
the Dominican Republic step in that
direction seems about to be made; our
government has recently announced that
in the near future it will restore native
administration and do away with direct
military rule. But plainly the United
States must retain supreme authority and
oversight for long time to come. When
there has grown to manhood new gen.
Grafton born and bred in an atmosphere
of peace, order and good governmental
generation having a certain amount of
education, familiar with the benefits of
civilized life and imbued with an intelli-
gent appreciation of the value of security
and prosperity-the situation may be al
tered.