Evening star., 1960-06-10
ID FOreWOrd
THE PRESENT declaration, d,

ID FOreWOrd
THE PRESENT declaration, drawn up and
signed by foreign newspapermen residing
in the Dominican Republic, constituting
complete denial of misrepresentation pub
lished by Mr.. Edward C. Burks in recent
series of three articles in "The New York
Times" and to the wide publicity given by the
United States press to the statements and ac-
cusations made by certain exiled Dominicans
living in that country, is meant to constitute
description and explanation of the present sit
uation in the Dominican Republic as we, i'm
partial and fairminded observers, have been
observing it for many years, and continue to
observe it daily.
BY so doing, we believe that we are fulfilling
moral duty, not only towards the Dominican
Republic and its Government but also to the people
of the United States, so often deceived by their
own reporters and by news coming from biased
sources.
We believe in fact that many reports as to
the truth about the Dominican Republic are mis-
taken, erroneous and improvsed. 1t is physically
impossible to become judges and censors, as many
newSpapermen do after short visits to a foreign
which, in most cases, they are totally ignorant in
regard to the historical roots and to the present
implications and consequences of these, be they
political, social or economic. -
These gratuitoHs judges and censors, in our
modest opinion through their extravagant inpro-
visatons, greatly prejudice the situations they
would remedy; they contribute in no small measure
to destroying the already tottering though neces-
sary unity of the Hemisphere and what is still
unforgvable, they become the irresponsible and
persistent promoters of ills, ruin and chaos.
Furthermore, we who have appended our sigma
ture to this declaration, wish to place on record
that we are active anti-CommunistS and that not
one of U.s. in principle, is anti-American We have
always understood the United States to be the bull
work of our common defense and of our common
anti-Communist ideals and it is for this reason
that we anxious for the great people of that
country to know the truth.
p Historic and economic Synthesis
The Dominican Republic won its independence
from Spain in 1865 but was again occupied by for
.egn power, the United States, in 1916 In the
of those 81 years of independence there
some fifty civil wars and other outbreaks of
violence.
Until $780, when Trujillo was elected to the
Presidency through the unanimous and democratic
vote of the people, the country had been sunk in
misery and disorder; iliteracy reigned; public
health abandoned to its own Devices the ma
tional treasury was practically non-existent and
was still having to bear the burden of huge for
eign debt Business was poor. The system of agri-
culture was rudimentary. Industry was negligible
Most of the roads were no better than municipal
pathways. Irrigation canals were primitive and
few and far between.
Sickness, despair and poverty was the pano-
rama and patrmony inherited by Trujillo in 1880
and these, with the strength and tenacity of the
pioneer, he hastened to mold and transform with
out dismay, into the new Dominican reality.
In order to achieve this unprecedented
miracle two factors were essential peace and in
ternal unity and the complete backing of all the
people Trujillo achieved these and has known
how to preserve them. Had this not been the case
it would have been impossible for him to retain the
leadership of his country for 80 years. nor would
his people have bestowed upon him the outstanding