The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-24
Frederick Haskin's Letter
sk
Americas Troublesome Territories

The result of all of this was that
Governor Reilly came TO Washing.
ton and laid the whole case before
President Harding. The presideB,
promptly sent Governor Reilly bses
TO his post, and by this action bark-
ed him up completely. There Is
reason TO believe that underwear
all of the dissatisfaction with The
present governor was the fact tbst
be Topped off appropriations for
salaries for sinecures which have
been sources of income to poliG.
cally prominent natives for some
time. Much of the criticism vas
disguised. however, under a clamor
for making the island an independ-
sBt nation.
Not only in outright possessions.
but in smaller republics in whicb
the United. States must of necessity
take hand in maintaining law aBd
order. does the germ OF trouble he
America had to take a hand In
Strengthening out the situations
which have arisen in Santo no.
mingo and in Haiti. These negro
republics from time to time have
upheaYals which make necessary
bit of quietiRg down and pacifyiug
by the long arm of the American
government.
In the short historical lives Of
these island republics, it has been
a rare thing for a president to sur
vive his term of office or to come
to his death from natural causes.
One of them was torn to pieces BY
wild horses. 1t is not unknown
for the legations of foreign powers
to be attacked. Revolutions abound.
In the interior, while denials will
be made of it, saVageFy often comes
to light, and there is no doubt Of
the survival of Voodooism and its
awful rites. The natives often are
bitterly resentful of American in
terventiOn to restore order, but the
American governmental policy is
that this country must be RESPONSE
BILE for the good conduct Of its
smaller and less enlightened island
Heighbors not far of the Atlantic
eoastline.
Cuba was Rursed along BY the
American government until strong
enough to stand alone In spite Of
everything that was done for Cuba,
from the time it was freed from
Spanish rule until America with
drew from the island, there was
always a bitterly anti-American
party which was not lacking in
demonstration of its feeling.
The Case Of Panama.
the case of Panama is another
in point. The American govern
ment had a great Geal to do with
the successful effort of this little
republic to free itself from Colon
bia, of which country it was for
merry a province. The successful
revolution at the beginning of this
century was the last of about fifty
such efforts. America quickly rec
ognized the new republic, and the
rest of the world followed her lead
From the new government Amer
lea purchased the canal rights
which she had been trying to get
from Colombia for a long time.
This concession includes q 10-mile
strip of land across the isthmus
bordering the great canal and the
right to fortify the canal. On the
other hand she must defend the
cities of Colon and Panama, at
either end of the canal and lying
within the 10-mile strip. These
cities are not American territory,
however, particular exception
having been made of them.
Naturally American influence is
strong in these cities, particularly
in Panama City, the capital. and
there, toe. strong opposition to
interference" has deYeI-
oped. Forgetting the American re-
sponsibility for Panama being free
at all, there have been OutbnTsts
of this feeling from time to time.
In all of these troubles the pols
icy has been to smooth and calm
down the excitable natives and dis
cuss the troubles openly as little
as possible. For underlying every
thing else in nearly every one Of
these cases is the always trouble
some color question and the fact
that arguments avail little or notn-
ing in bring races to regard each
other with true fTateTnal affection.