LITTLE KNOWN COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD HAITI

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 99, 29 April 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITTLE KNOWN COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD HAITI

'I"HIS sketch of a reception in the * Palace of Sans Souei sounds, like a fairy story, but the palace really existed, and the Duke of Marmalade and the Count of Lemonade are actual figures of history. Their king was Christophe, who, from being a slave and a French officer's servant, rose to be the King of Haiti. Haiti, which embraces the western portion of the island of Hispaniola, is only 10,000 square miles in area, but has a population of nearly 3,000,000. Like Liberia, which was the subject of an article recently in this series, Haiti is a negro republic. Unlike Liberia, it was not colonised by the black*. The negroes have lived there for many years, but were successful in seizing power from other races. The Haitians have also been fortunate during the last 50 years in having the advice and assistance of the United States in the control of their country. To-day, Haiti is a very much more progressive country than its sister republic in West Africa. This change is the more remarkable when it is remembered that Haiti has probably seen more bloodshed than any other country of its size in the world. For very many years it was torn by civil wars. Many of its rulers were brutal despots, who massacred their subjects or drove them to suicide. Most interesting of these early negro rulers is Christophe, otherwise known as the "Black Napoleon." Born on the British island of St. Kitts in 1760, he ran away on a French ship and waa sold as a slave boy in Haiti. Becoming a French officer's servant, he went to the United States and took part in the American War of Independence. On his return to Haiti, Christophe was sold to an innkeeper. It was at this time that he began to feel him-

self superior to other men. He became ambitious. He wanted to prove that he was as great as anv man in the world; and that black men were equal or superior to their white brethren. A revolution broke out and Christophe joined the French Army. He ■ became an officer, and in a few years a general. Then the blacks, under a great leader known as Toussaint L'Ouverture, again rebelled. Christophe saw his chance and joined the rebels. After the defeat of the French he became President of the republic and eventually had himself crowned king. Christophe still wanted to prove himself the greatest man in the world. He ruled his people with an iron hand and pressed thousand* into his personal service. He built the lovely palace of Sans Souei, which he called after the magnificent home of the King of Prussia. Fearing invasion, he also built a great fortress

The scene is the glittering throne room of a great palace, built high on a mountainside and approached from the plains below only by tracks through dense tropical forest. Every stone of the palace was carried by slaves up the steep mountain, many of the wretched workers dropping dead in the scorching heat. A black man, gorgeously dressed, rules in this palace. As he sits on the throne a servant announces two guests: "The Duke of Marmalade and the Count of Lemonade," he cries, and the two strangely named courtiers mince forward to pay their respects to the ebony emperor.

veloped state—a grim island from which filtered out stories of hatred and cruelty that shocked the world. At length the United States stepped in. The continual warfare was a danger to the safety of Americans who lived in Haiti or had business interests there. A treaty was signed under which the United States was to assist in establishing orderly, responsible government. American advisers were appointed to assist the Haitian Government, and great progress has since been made. Education, always a direct clue to progress in any country, is now free and compulsory, just as it is in New Zealand. There are primary schools, secondary schools, a university and schools where farming methods are taught. There is more than 1000 miles of good motor road. Railways, which are American owned, link the important centres. The capital city, Port-au-Prince, which has a population about the same as that of Christchurch, has a modern telephone service, good streets and electric lighting. It compares more than favourably with the capital cities of other American republics of similar size. Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage, and his name for it, Hispaniola, has recently 'been revived as a distinctive name for the entire island. After Haiti won its independence from the French in 1804 it had 26 rulers until the Americans stepped in 24 years ago. These included two emperors, a king and 23 presidents. One committed suicide, four were murdered, five died in office, and 15 were forced to fly from Haiti. Only one of these men survived to the end of his term. Now that order has been restored, Haitians are in the main a quiet and contented people. Most of the population is engaged in agriculture, the principal product of the republic being coffee. Cocoa, cotton, sisal, tobacco, bananas and sugar are also grown for export. Haiti has considerable mineral wealth, but this has not yet ibeen developed. Here again, America will probably give the Haitians a lead, and the future looks bright for the country where the Black Napoleon once planted his foot on the necks of a down-trodden people.

on the summit of the same mountain. This citadel was a massive stone building with room for 10,000 j troops. It is still one of the wonders of the world, particularly as every stone and even the gTeat guns were dragged up the mountain by Christopher slaves. The building was begun in 1804. and was not completed at the king's death in 1820. Christophe was in power for 14 years. At the end of that time his people could stand no more. They rose against their brutal ruler. Christophe, a sick man, realised that hi« time was over. Attiring himself in his most gorgeous robes, he seated himself on his throne and said farewell to his followers. Then he shot himself with a golden bullet he had long carried, believing, in his vanity, that it alone could cause his death. For long years afterwards the Haitians were involved in terrible civil wars. The Europeans, the halfcastes and the blacks—all fought against each other and among themselves. So awful was the bloodshed that it was impossible for Haiti to progress, and it remained in an unde-