Evening star., 1933-08-21

An executive agreement which has
been entered into by the United States
and the Republic of Haiti is interpreted
in this country as an important mile
stone in Latin American relations. 1t
Is believed that it will create faVor-
able impression among foreign govern
mentS and will increase the value OF
pan American conferences. An inter
esting fact that is brought out in the
course of the discussion is that the Ma
rineS. who are to be ordered to leave
the island republic. were sent there by
Mr.. Roosevelt when he was Assistant
Secretary of the Navy. The agreement
gives government to the islanders.
THE signing of the Haitian treaty"
according to the Rochester Times-Unton
will, no doubt. have favorable effect
upon our relations with Latin America
In general. where American imperial
ism is regarded with great suspicion"
The Times-Un thinks 1t may do
something to ease matters at the trade
conference which is to open in Monte
video this Fall" That paper empha-
sizes the point that the executive
agreement need not be submitted to
the United States Senate but will have to
run the gantlet of the Haitian Senate.
and may meet there a fate similar to
that negotiated less than year ago.
1t is added that the customs service
will remain under American supervision,
but only so long as necessary TO retire,
by the building up Of a sinking fund,
the loans made to Haiti in 1922
BY withdrawal of Marines" says the
Omaha World Herald, the United
States will have taken long step away
from its adventure in dollar diplomacy"
uoi-
tian adventure began in 1915, after four
or five years of terror and bloodshed
and revolution in the island. The Ma
rines, of course-by methods at which
they are cXpert-brought peace to the
island. 1t has been charged that the
bold Smedley Butler, always a pictur-
eSQue figure and always one who be-
lieves in direct action, got the Haitian
Senate to ratify treaty by the eXpedi-
ent of impriSoning the Senators until
they signed, but that charge has never
been admitted nor proven However,
the Marines restored quiet, Haiti event.
ually sold bond issue to this country
and the Americans supervised the GUS
toms to assure repayment. The formula
is familiar. 1t has not always brought
the greatest credit to the United States
Sometimes crimes may be committed in
we're out of Nicaragua now, and we're
going to get out of Haiti. The news,
on the whole, is good"
The United States" AYERS the San
Antonio Express, desires to terminate
the occupation of Haiti. which was
necessitated partly by conflicting Euro
pean interests in the West Indies and
the Caribbean region generally. Haiti
should profit by the example of the
adjacent Dominican Republic. The lat
ter country also was torn by domestic
strife at intervals from 1899 to 1916,
but now IS progressing notably under
President Rafael L. Trujillo, who was a
United States Marine Corps officer dur
ing the Great War" The Express
points out that the United States
agrees to transfer entire control of LIE
Garde d'Haiti to native officers by Octo-
Der /. 1884 The compact also stipulates
that the 1st United States Marine Corps
Brigade-a skeletonized outfit totaling
about 800 officers and enlisted mems
to depart from Haiti within thirty days
after the republics defense forces shall
have been turned over to native COM
mand"
1t is hoped by the Newark Evening
News that the American withdrawal
will have happy effect on the next
Pan American Conference, and assist in
having the Monroe Doctrine accepted
as a real international policy for the
Western Hemisphere" The Evening
News comments further: Whatever
the motives for the occupation, whether
to keep the Caribbean peace or to pro-
tect American dollars, there is no ques-
ton but that the Marines brought to
Haiti a fair state of order and urban
sanitation. In a difficult climate, and
dealing with fantastic population who
practice sorcery with the same matter
of-factness that we employ toward the
radio, the leathernecks handled a deli
cate Job with splendid success, and in
departing leave q trained constabulary
imbued with an esprit de corps and
commanding respect"
The Haitian people will have the