It would, however, permit
of less latitude for the improvement of conditions in Santo Domingo.
For some time to come it is probable that some form of protectorate
will be the choice of both parties. Many American statesmen are
opposed to annexation, and the Dominicans as a rule would prefer the
phantom of sovereignty in a mediatized republic to the real advantages
of annexation.
It is only natural that Dominicans should feel sad at passing under
the government of a foreign power. But those of clearer vision
recognize that there is no alternative, that the independence of the
Republic has long been a fiction, that real freedom is only now
beginning to dawn, and that American assistance will give the greatest
impetus to prosperity. For several years the number of persons taking
such a broader view has been rapidly increasing. It was not long ago
when friends of mine in Santo Domingo would lead me to the middle of
the plazza, out of hearing of any eavesdropper, and then with bated
breath confide their conviction that the only salvation of the
country lay in the United States.
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