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National Geographic : 1920 Dec
Contents
HAITI AND ITS REGENERATION BY THE UNITED STATES Ascertaining his whereabouts, however, his foes marched to the legation. Disre garding the protests of the French min ister, they broke in and dragged Sam forth, killing him and sending his hands and feet and other portions of his body on spears and bayonets to different quar ters of the city. An eye witness of the tragedy tells how the progress of several processions through the city could be followed by the cries and shouts of the rejoicing, blood-maddened mobs that fol lowed each grewsome relic. It was this action which finally forced the landing of American troops in Haiti. Traditionally opposed to interfering in the affairs of its neighbors, the United States had stood for years between the little black republic and the nations of Europe when loans were due and unpaid or when citizens of foreign nations were molested. Urging the sanctity of the Monroe Doctrine, our government had repeatedly settled disputes and adjusted matters so that Haiti might receive ex tension of credit from its creditors and avoid the forcible coercion its acts threat ened to provoke. The violation of the French legation, however, brought matters to a climax. The French Government put the problem squarely to our own authorities and de manded either that we take action or that they be permitted to do so themselves. On being assured of our intention to handle the situation, the French con tented themselves with landing a small armed guard for the purpose merely of satisfying their national honor by ob serving the form of landing an armed force on the soil of the nation which had violated the sanctity of their legation. CHAOS EVERYWHERE WHEN THE UNITED STATES INTERVENES Accordingly, in July, 1915, American marines and bluejackets were landed in Port au Prince and the United States formally took over the task of bringing law and order and peace to that distracted land. It is difficult for an American to com prehend the situation which existed in Haiti when our troops first landed. There was no such thing in the island as law and order, or security either of life or property. Armed bands ranged the hills in the interior and robbed all whom they met, leaving a trail of murder and burned villages as they moved from place to place. In the cities the situation was a little better, but during the period of each revolution the cacos from the hills in vaded the towns and murder and de struction of property ensued. THE ISLAND RAVAGED BY DISEASE Disease ravaged the island, both the interior and the coast, unchecked. The plague made its appearance at frequent intervals, yellow fever and smallpox rav aged the lowlands, and malaria, the scourge of the tropics, was always pres ent. It is estimated that 87 per cent of the entire population were infected with contagious diseases. Less than 3 per cent of the people were able to read and write and practically all of these were located in the cities of the coast. In the interior, one might travel for days with out finding a Haitian capable of even signing his own name. Due to the instability of government and universal insecurity, banking institu tions ceased to function. Virtually no loans were made and business was at a standstill. Chaos reigned in all depart ments, and to all appearances the entire structure of life in Haiti was on the verge of dissolution. This is a true pic ture of conditions in Haiti when the United States forces first landed. It is not an exaggerated picture-in fact, many details are omitted which are not suitable for publication in the United States. Those who desire to confirm the state ments made herein and to go further in the study of Haiti and its problems will be well repaid by reading any of the standard works on the subject, such as the classic history of Haiti, "The Black Republic," by Spencer St. John, or that of Marcus Rainsford, both eminent Brit ish writers. After slight skirmishes order was estab lished in Port au Prince by the marines and bluejackets landed in July, 1915, and marines landed in other cities quickly established conditions of law and order along the seacoast. Meetings of the Haitian Congress were held and a new president, Dartiguenave, 505
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