Evening star., 1924-07-05
The Marines Leave Santo Domingo
BY FREDERIC ]. HhSKIN

rines to take charge Of affairs.
While the five years OF American
occupation have brought peace and
order to Santo Domingo. the presence
OF the marines has not been relished
by the Dominicans. No people enjoys
the domination Of another, especially
when the differences between the two
are AZ vast aS those between Domini-
cans and North Americans. The ma
to the Anglo-Saxsn type; they are
blunt, practical, efiicient and arro-
CANT, with q talent for administration
and a great respect for modern con
cans are suave,. emotional. imprac-
tical. with talent for ornamental
leisure and q graceful acceptance OF
sondit,en: ito .ss,, a. they are are Both types
ferent histories.
OF all the islands in the chain that
extends in vast semi-circ1e from the
southern coast of Florida to the
santo Domingo has had the most
hectic career. From the day of it's
discovery by Christopher Columbus it
has known almost constant bloodshed
and disaster. 1t has witnessed the
determination of one race within it's
boundaries and the virtual extermi-
nation Of another. Earthquakes and
hurricanes have destroyed large por-
tions of its population and disease
has wiped out even greater numbers.
always been extremely precarious.
for no sooner has one group of VIC
tors set up its authority than another
group has appeared to contest it.
Islands Hectic History.
When Columbus and his small fleet
landed in Santo Domingo, in Decem-
- 4
reached Japan. they found an island
of great natural beauty and riches,
Inhabited by friendly Indians. En-
chanted with the surroundings, Co.
lumbus Immediately started the or
ganization of a colonial government
on the island; built a fort from the
later founded a cathedral 1t was
evidently his desire to settle there as
a planter and governor of the colony
But the atmosphere Of Santo Domingo
seems to breed conspiracies. The ex-
plorer was soon the object of a half
dozen intrigues. which kept him busy
crossing and recrossing the Atlantic
in order to explain his motives to the
suspicious King Ferdinand and, at
length, discouraged and sick at heart,
he decided to remain in Spain.
Later the son and grandson Of
Columbus each attempted to settle on
the ancestral estate in Santo Domingo,
but were equally unsuccessful as the
result of political intrigues. Mean
time the colony of Spanish planters
grew rapidly on the labor of the
Indian natives. whom they enslaved
mines. Unable to stand the long
hours of labor, to which their race
vas unaccustomed, the Indians quick
ly died out, so that it soon became
necessary for the Spaniards to i'm
port negroes from Africa and the
other islands of the West Indies to
work for them. 1t is this negro
strain which. after centuries of polit-
ical upheaval, is dominant in the
island, replacing the old Spanish
families just as it replaced the In
dians. But the Spanish language
and Spanish culture have prevailed
through all the vicissitudes of CEN
turtles.
When the French attempted to set
tie in the West Indies the western
half of Santo Domingo-Haiti-fe
under their influence. and it has never
been released. At one time Santo
Domingo was forced to fly the French
flag for a brief interval, and at an
other time it was annexed to Haiti
under the Haitian negro president.
Boyer. whose ambition was to build
up a strong African state in the West
Indies. The Haitian rule lasted
twenty-five years. At the end Of
that time the Dominicans took ad-
vantage of a revolution against Boy
er which occurred ia Haiti to declare
their Independence. They met with
very little opposition. and the date
of this victory is still enthusiastically
celebrated on the 27th of February
every year.
The Dominicans have a strong feel
Ing OF nationalism. Although many
of the young men and women are
educated abroad, they invariably re-
turn to their own island, which seems
to exercise over them the same charm
that it had for Columbus centuries
ago. This patriotic spirit may yet
insure prosperous and peaceful
future for the republic now that the
American administration has straight
ened out it's present.