We May Intervene In Santo Domingo.

New York Times 100 years ago today, September 14, 1912:
State Department May Send Troops to Protect Custom Houses from Rebels.
CLASH WITH HAITI LIKELY
Adjacent Republic Annexes Disputed Territory and Haitians Are In Sympathy with the Rebels.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Sept. 13.— The revolution originally fomented in Santo Domingo by a junta operating from New York has reached such proportions that the State Department is seriously considering the advisability of an intervention in force. Such action, while it would be surprising to Santo Domingo, which has for years been in peculiarly close fiscal relations with the United States, would also bring us sharply into contact, if not conflict, with Haiti. The insurrection along the border has been encouraged by Haitians, and the negro republic has taken advantage of the disturbance to extend her frontiers over considerable disputed territory.
    The most serious phase of the outbreak, from an American point of view, is that many custom houses along the Haitian border have been taken by the insurgents. They have either been closed outright or are being run by the insurgents for the good of the rebel treasury. Our interest lies in the fact that under our convention with the Dominican Republic we have assumed charge of her customs, and are administering them in behalf of the republic and her creditors. That convention gives us full authority to maintain peace about the custom houses, and it seems just a question of developments the next few weeks whether we exercise that power or not.
    The trouble apparently had its inception with Gen. Horatio Vasquez a member of the Cabinet of former President Caceres and Victoria's rival for the Presidency in the movement that followed. He then fled to New York, and assumed operations from there. He has been fairly successful. Dejabon was captured early in August, and many frontier towns have fallen into his hands. In this frontier movement he has undoubtedly been aided by the Haitians, and that presents one of the most annoying features of the situation.
    The United States occupies a responsible position in regard to the administration of San Dominican customs. Under the convention we receive all payments. Five per cent is deducted for the cost of administration, 45 per cent, is given to Santo Domingo for current expenses of the Government, and 50 per cent, is brought to New York for distribution to Santo Domingo's many creditors.
    It is believed here that under the convention our responsibilities leave us little choice but to protect the custom houses. But after a consultation to-day it was decided to await further developments before sending a naval force to make a demonstration. The gunboat Petrel is our only ship in Dominican waters, though the Wheeling is at Guantanamo and the Tacoma is at Bluefields. The protected cruiser Des Moines is at Key West, but she is en route for Vera Cruz.
    The zone of the rebellion lies between Puerto Plata on the North Coast, and Sanchez on the Bay of Samana. News reached here to-day of a sanguinary battle within the last forty-eight hours at a small town in that section. Although the Dominican Government claims victory for its army, the rebel movement is believed to have sustained no serious check and further hostilities are expected.
    The Dominican Legation has received a cablegram that the revolutionary leader in the Eastern Department of the Republic, Gen. Julian Zewilla, has surrendered with all his men. Their number was not stated.