The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-09
u. s. TO FACE
new GRIEF IN
HELL OF HAITI
ThankIeSS Job ConfrontS
Hoover in Bringing Isle
Back to Peace.
EUROPE'S FINGER IN PIE
America Must Take Action
to Prevent TangIe With
Foreign Powers.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps Howard Foreign Editor

Scripps Howard Foreign Editor
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9. - No
government ever faced a nastier or
a more thankless job than that
which confrontS the United States
in the he'll hole of Haiti, toward
which marine reinforcements today
are rushing to put down the latest
revolutionary fracas.
| None too soon has President
Hoover asked congress for authority
to send a commission of inquiry to
this Caribbean arena of misrule and
it is the expressed hope of those
! familiar with conditions there that
congress and the President both viii
make it Snappy. A sorer spot nor
one more hurtful to Yankee prestige
does not exist under the sheltering
wing of the American eagle.
American marines we're sent to
Haiti in 1915 at the direction Of
President Wilson. There seemed no
alternative. 1t was either that or
standing by and permitting France
or some other European power to
intervene.
President Is Slain
Seven presidents had come and
gone in the five years following
1910, the last, President Sam liter
ally being torn to pieces following
the massacre of some 200 political
prisoners held in the bastile. He
had taken refuge in the French le-
cation and it was from there he
was dragged and killed during the
funeral of the victims.
France, naturally, was indignant
and threatened to intervene, but,
following traditional American pol
icy, corollary of the Monroe doc
trine, which warns American
powers to keep hands off the West
ern hemisphere, the United States
acted instead.
From that time on Haiti has been
ruled by the marines. In 1916 the
legislative body of the Haitian gov
eminent was dissolved, its members
being expelled forcibly. A new cleo
ton, under American supervision,
then was held, and another congress
installed; but again, in 1917, its
members were thrown out by ma
rineS and the legislative halls pad
locked.
Constitution Voted On
In 1918 a constitution written at
the direction of Washington was
submitted to popular" vote, again
under marine supervision. Blue BAL
lots were for, red ballots against
and, it is alleged, the voters having
been instructed previously to vote
blue, the constitution was carried
by $4,000 votes, as against scat
tering few hundred.
This constitution calls for elec-
ton of president and members Of
congress by the people. 1t also pro-
vides that pending such popular
election, legislation shall be in the
hands of council of state COM
posed of twenty-one members, all
named by the president. "
To date no election has been held.
President Borno, elected a dozen
years ago, has continued to assert
that the situation is not conducive
to an orderly election, so he contin-
ueS to have himself reelected by the
very council of state which he him
self apo. nts.
Tremendous bitterness has re-
suited. The unrest has gone on, pill
ing up, higher and higher, until last
Wednesday rioting broke out. This
grew in scope until the weekend
found the entire island seethingN
the grip of a general strike, bord
ing on revolution, in which stude
in the schools participated.
I Bloodshed followed when
tachment of marines were fore
to use their machine guns to bres
up mob which surrounded them.
Blame Can't Be Placed
Who is to blame for all this It is
impossible to say. The Haitians
have been a turbulent lot since
their very beginning. Revolution
has followed revolution for more
than century and president afterS
president has been assassinatedR
throughout all these years. Certain
ly they have not shown capacity
for self-government. Their island
is the bear garden of the West
Indies.
But marine rule has not been a.
success either. Excess of zeal has
been reported. President Borno is
described as tool Of Uncle Sam
and so on.
True or false, Latin America has
been watching and criticizing, and
President Hoover, no doubt, now Isl
determined to set things to rights
as soon as ever he can.
The population Of Haiti is $780,
900, almost 100 per cent Negro or
mulatto. Illiteracy is about IS per