Only one of the international protocols, however, specified when the
custom-houses to which it referred were to be turned over and the
manner in which the surrender was to be made. The others merely made
the pledge in general terms, further negotiations being necessary to
render it effective. The exception was the arbitral award of the San
Domingo Improvement Company, which determined that in case of the
nonpayment of any of the monthly instalments a financial agent, to be
named by the United States government, was to enter into possession of
the Puerto Plata custom-house. No payments of instalments were made by
the Dominican government and in September, 1904, compliance with the
terms of the award was demanded. On October 20, 1904, the
vice-president of the San Domingo Improvement Company, designated as
American financial agent, was placed in possession of the custom-house
at Puerto Plata.
A cry of dismay ran through the land and the leading newspaper of
Santo Domingo, the "Listin Diario," published an editorial under the
expressive heading "Consummatum est," It was, indeed, the beginning of
the end.
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