File No. 738.3915/41.

The American Minister to Haiti to the Secretary of State.

No. 808.]

Sir: I have the honor to state that I had a long talk with President Simon to-day, during the course of which he said that in view of the menacing attitude of Santo Domingo, Haiti could not accede to the request of Santo Domingo and permit it to continue with the construction of the road which has been the cause of the present difficulty.

When asked as to what solution to the difficulty the Haitian Government proposed, he stated that he was in favor of suspending all work pending arbitration on the boundary question. He made some inquiry of me as to The Hague Tribunal, and upon my assurance that that tribunal could be relied upon as being impartial he said that he would favor its arbitrating.

I have, etc.,

H. W. Furniss.