Germany has a good deal on her hands at this moment.
In regard to Haiti, the case of young Lueders seems to be more complicated than it at first appeared.
By the laws of Haiti he is a Haitian, having been born on Haitian soil of a native mother; but he was educated in Germany, and served his time in the German army, so he has voluntarily assumed the duties of German citizenship.
This makes the case hard to handle.
Haiti has a perfect right to insist that he is a citizen, and must be treated according to her laws, but Germany has also some right to say that he is a German citizen, and shall not be abused by a foreign country. Were Haiti a more powerful country than she is, there is little doubt that she would take a stand and insist on her rights, but as it is, she does not dare to resist a strong power like Germany.
There was, as we told you, a report current that Germany did not intend to send any ship to Haiti, but that the matter would be settled by arbitration.
Three days after the announcement, two German cruisers entered the harbor of Port-au-Prince, and sent in an ultimatum, which is a government's final decision on a given subject.
The Haitian Government was informed that unless Germany's demands were submitted to within eight hours, the town would be bombarded.
Germany had said that two of her schoolships would visit the West Indies during the winter, and the two vessels which arrived at Port-au-Prince are believed to have been the two in question. They were, however, so fully equipped, and presented such a formidable appearance, that they were quite sufficient to seriously alarm the Haitians.