Mr. Powell to Mr. Hay.
Port au Prince, June 10, 1903.
Sir: I have the honor to state to the Department that a petition has been sent to the Corps Legislative requesting that a law be enacted to restrict Syrian emigration to the Republic. At the present time it is estimated there are in the Republic nearly fifteen thousand of these people. They have become so numerous that they have crowded out the retail merchants, who, by the laws of the Republic, are confined exclusively to Haitians. They have also entered the field of the traveling or country merchant, or those who travel through the country taking their wares and goods with them, and which class they have almost driven from the field by being able to undersell them. In a word, they are fast controlling this entire line of business.
The houses in which these people live are small, not more than one or two stories, consisting of five or six rooms, yet, one may find in such houses from five to six families, averaging five or six persons to each family. Their habits and the places in which they dwell are not noted for their cleanly condition.
Their way of living and the manner in which they are controlling the retail business of the country has excited the ire of all classes of Haitians. It is proposed in the enactment of this law to eventually compel them to leave the country and to prevent more from entering.
A provision of Haitian law prohibits any foreigner from entering the retail business of any character whatever, or to travel through the country to sell goods to the country people, or to establish stores in the interior or at the closed ports of the Republic, or to buy the products of the country outside the seaport towns or cities.
Up to a few years ago one could see on the country roads hundreds of country merchants or peddlers with their donkeys loaded with all classes of merchandise leaving the cities by the several roads, going into the interior to trade with the country people and with those who live in the interior towns or villages. To-day their places are supplied by these people, who, instead of the donkey to carry their merchandise, employ one of the natives to be guide and porter for them through the country. He continues his journey from place to place until his goods are sold, when he returns for a fresh supply. There is no road anywhere in the Republic where one of these people can not be found. To evade this provision of the law these people become naturalized. In so doing they obtain the right to travel when and where they please.
By the draft of the proposed law presented to the Senate and the Chambers of Deputies, it is provided that this class of people shall not be naturalized; that licenses to conduct business shall be issued to them but once, and not renewable, and it also provides that the immigration of this class is to be restricted in the future.
I call this matter to the attention of the Department because if the present Chambers enact such a law it is apt to lead to grave international complications. Most of these people come from Syria, and on their arrival place themselves under the protection of the French [Page 599] legation; next to those who claim French protection are those who claim to be naturalized American citizens. This number is large, though but few of them can speak the English language, yet they possess American passports and naturalization papers. A few claim English protection. The rest, as I have stated, become Haitian citizens by taking the oath of allegiance and such other requisites required under the Haitian law to become citizens.
If such a law should be passed, and the Government should enforce it, these people will appeal to the French and this legation to interfere in their behalf. I may also add in this connection that all the money they make, above their immediate wants, is sent to Syria, to which place they eventual return when they secure sufficient wealth.
I have, etc.,