In 1882-84 the United States declined to entertain proposals of the President of Haiti for cession of a naval station. In 1884, learn ing that Haiti contemplated a transfer ter ritory to France, the American government in formed the French government that such acqni-, sition of Haitian territory would conflict with the Monroe Doctrine. France denied any in tention of acquisition. Soon thereafter the American government made a similar statement to England. In 1888, Secretary Bayard re ferring to the rumors in Haiti regarding the efforts of the French representatives to induce France to declare a protectorate or annexation and at the same time considering the possibili ties of the French government being asked to undertake the completion of the Panama Canal instructed the American Minister at Paris again to take the opportunity by explicit language, without referring to affairs in Panama, to re call the American traditional policy of which France had been informed 25 years before and also at the commencement of work upon the Panama Canal by the French company in 1884-85.
In 1891, the American government sent a special naval commissioner to Haiti with fleet to endeavor in co-operation with the American Minister to obtain a lease of Mole Saint Nicholas as a naval station, but the proposals were declined.
In 1894 the American government objected to Haitian discrimination in favor of sailing vessels; and in 1897 and •1898 it protested against acts ,involving discrimination against American citizens in Haiti.
In. December 1897, when German vessels threatened to shell the public buildings at Port au Prince unless the- Haitian government ac ceded to its demands, resulting from the arrest and imprisonment of a German liveryman, the American Minister in Haiti urged the applica tion of the Monroe Doctrine and the Haitian government applied for a treaty arrangement which practically would have established an American protectorate; but Secretary Sherman, opposed to a policy of establishing protectorates over neighbors, urged Mr. Powell not to pro ceed on the hypothesis that the United States had a duty to protect neighbors against their responsibilities. In 1900 when the German
Minister suggested the establishment through act of foreign powers of an independent tribunal at Haiti to try foreign litigations not triable in the Haitian tribunal, Secretary Hay declined to approve the proposed measure in terfering with the sovereign right of Haiti but suggested independent friendly representation to the Haitian government in regard to the defects in the administration of justice.
After the Franco-Haitian commercial treaty of 1900, reducing tonnage dues paid by French sailing vessels and duties on merchandise landed from French steamers, the American government promptly insisted that under the treaty of 1864 no higher duties could be col lected on American vessels than were collected on the vessels of the most favored nation.
By the logic of events the American gov ernment was forced to accept larger responsi bilities in Haiti. In 1912, it exercised an in fluence to prevent war between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In 1914, as a result of continuous insurrectionary activity and con sequent threatening clouds of international trouble, it undertook to secure supervisory con trol of the Haitian finances. In July 1915 in order to terminate an increasing reign of terror it landed marines to protect the legations, took possession of the fort, supervised the election, put naval paymasters in charge of the customs houses and finally completed negotiations for a convention establishing a fiscal and constabu lary protectorate.
The new American responsibility in Haiti— whose government is an engine without a fly wheel, threatening its own destruction by its own energy—is far greater than that assumed over other weak governments in the Caribbean region, and may raise problems far different from those of the other territories in which the American government exercises supervisory control.
Professor of History and Political Science, University of West Virginia.