THE GERMANS AND HAYTI.
(To THE EDITOR OF THR "SPECTATOR:9
Sur,—In the light of recent events in Venezuela, perhaps the following facts, which go to show that the policy of heavy- handedness followed by Germany is not of very recent growth, may be of interest. Towards the end of the year 1897 a German subject was imprisoned in Port-au-Prince Jail, Hayti. The German representative demanded the man's release, which was refused. The man, however, was set at liberty through the intervention of the American Minister. In the first days of December two German gunboats arrived off the town of Port-au-Prince with orders, understood to be direct from the Kaiser, to collect the indemnity claimed by Germany. The period for consideration allowed to the Haytian authorities was to end at 1 o'clock on Decem- ber 6tb, at which hour the bombardment was to begin. Almost on the stroke of 1 the diplomatic representatives of some of the European Powers succeeded in persuading the President of Hayti and his Ministers to accede to the German demands. Had the town been bombarded, it is probable that hardly a white man, woman, or child would have been spared by the infuriated populace. On the second anniversary of the day in 1899 a couple of German gunboats again came into Port-au-Prince, where I happened to be at the time, and some of the crews landed and " hoched" the Kaiser in the bar of a hotel, to the intense indignation of the Haytians. It is said, I fear with truth, that the Englishman abroad is a little forgetful of the foibles of other nationalities, but in that respect he cannot compare with the German in the employ of his Government. The German immigrant behaves very difterently.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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