PART SECOND

HAITI

CHAPTER I

HISTORY

THE United States has had a little experience in colonial
government since we became a world power, following
the Spanish-American War; but Haiti differs from all
the rest of our protectorates. The Philippines come nearest to
the position of Hai1:i in presenting difficulties for the develop¬
ment of a stable government, but Haiti is entirely a black
man's land. Porto Rico has the greatest proportion of white
blood of any of the West Indies and has shown a greater
element of political stability. Cuba has a population about
two-thirds white; Panama's population is very mixed, but there
is at least a dominating class with Spanish blood. Santo
Domingo might be called a mulatto republic, but th^ intel¬
lectual element is largely Spanish. Nicaragua is predominantly
Indian, but the influential political force is of almost pure
white blood.

Haiti, however, is the black man's paradise and presents
an entirely new problem in our international relations. Only
since 1899 have white men been able to hold land or become
citizens. Very few white men have taken advantage of this
provision. Whites in Haiti are looked upon with more prejudice
than is manifested toward the negro in the United States.
Thus not only is the problem complicated by the low scale
of civilization existing among the natives, but also by the race
prejudice which exists between the white man of the United
States and the negro people of the country.

The original population of Haiti was of course Indian, but
within less than fifty years of the first Spanish occupation of
the island the Indians had been practically exterminated and
the importation of negro slaves from Africa was well under
way. Slavery was abolished in 1793, but not until such a
number of negros had been imported that the Indian element
had disappeared utterly and the country had become one of
as pure black blood as could be found in ^frica itself.

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