Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 7, 1915
File No. 838.00/1301.
The Acting Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of State.
Washington, September 11, 1915.
Sir: I have the honor to forward herewith a copy of a report from Rear Admiral W. B. Caperton, in reference to conditions in Haitian waters from August 13 to August 19, inclusive.
Very sincerely yours,
Admiral Caperton to the Secretary of the Navy.
Considerable destitution exists among the lower classes in Port au Prince. On the morning of August 13, a woman and child were, found dead in the open [Page 489] market-place in the vicinity of Rue de St. Honore and Rue de Centre, their deaths having been due, without question, to starvation. A very intelligent woman, claiming to be a school teacher, appeared this morning and showed what purported to be an acknowledgement of indebtedness due her for pay as school teacher for the month of January. She claims that neither she nor family have had anything to eat for two days. Other cases similar to this have been brought to my attention; and some cases where families have been without food for 24 to 48 hours. The starting of public works and establishment of peace, will, without doubt, furnish employment to many men who are now without food; but this will not, in all probability, reach the women and children who have no men to support them.
I request that this matter be brought to the attention of the Red Cross Society, with the request that they send representatives and undertake relief work at Port au Prince. I suggest the Reel Cross Society cable me $1,000 to carry on relief work until they arrive. Referring to the Department’s radiogram No. 14002, there are no influential Haitians who have funds for properly organizing a relief society; the country is destitute from lack of crops and industry due to continuous revolution.
August 14, 1915.
The revolutionary leader, Daguesseau Montreuil, arrived at Cape Haitien on the morning of August 13. He communicated with the revolutionary committees at St. Marc and Gonaives, and sent a telegram to the revolutionary committee at Cape Haitien to the effect that Bobo was very strong politically. It is suspected that he will urge the ex-Bobo troops to maintain their present stand and not surrender their arms. The committee of public safety appointed by Bobo still continues to exist and to be a menace, at Cape Haitien. No troops have presented themselves to surrender arms as yet.
I immediately informed the Commanding Officer of the Connecticut that no revolutionary activities of any kind would be tolerated in Haiti and especially within the limits of my command; that it is the duty of all citizens to support the present Government; and that if Montreuil, or any other Haitian, attempted revolutionary activities of any kind, he is to be arrested at once.
I received on this day Department’s radiogram No. 12014, stating that the Red Cross Society had contributed $1,000 to relieve the destitute among the lower classes at Port au Prince.
August 16, 1915.
On this day information was received from fairly reliable sources, that the Cacos forces were concentrating at Le Borgne, on the north coast of Haiti, west of Cape Haitien, and at Pt. Sonde, just east of St. Marc, on the Artibonite River; that the Cacos were becoming restless as they had not received pay for some time; and that the leaders appear to fear that they will lose control over their men.
The Cacos question will be the most difficult one for the United States to solve in Haiti, as these men have long been used to the wandering life of a bandit and to a life without work. I made arrangements for the bank at St. Mare, under the direction of the American officer at that place, to pay those Cacos who belong to any military organization a sum of money if they would surrender their arms and return to their homes, in the same manner as was clone at Port au Prince and Cape Haitien. The Castine has been ordered to St. Marc and will take charge of such payment.
The offer of money to the Cacos to surrender arms and disband is entirely in the nature of pay for military services rendered in the past, as they form the majority of the military organizations in the North. At present considerable difficulty is being experienced at Cape Haitien in getting the Cacos to come in and deposit their arms, although the money is waiting for them and they have been so informed.
The Cacos question is a most serious one and will probably not be successfully handled until a reliable constabulary is established and money comes into the country to provide work for these men.
Under date of August 16, the American Consular Agent at Port de Paix informed the Commanding Officer of the Connecticut that Port de Paix was entirely and openly hostile to the Government of President Dartiguenave, which has not been recognized at that place yet, and that the population was ready to join the Cacos. The Consular Agent stated that General Cherfilus had been called to Port de Paix with an armed force to take possession of the town and to join the Cacos army and the population there, which is to commence what [Page 490] they term “guerre internationale” against Dartiguenave and the American occupation; that there was a strong rumor that a division of the Cacos was on the march there via Le Borgne; that if this is true there will be serious danger to foreign life and property; and that the population is very excited and inclined to excesses.
A committee—consisting of Archbishop Pichon, Reverend Turnbull, U. S. Vice Consul Battist, Senators L. Herrison and Villard, Madame Vve Fils-Aimé, president, and Madame E. Solages, treasurer of St. Vincent de Paul’s Hospital—under direction of Lieutenant Oberlin, is engaged in alleviating the suffering of the starving poor at Port au Prince with funds provided by the American Red Cross Society.
August 18, 1915.
In order to give further publicity to my offer to pay the soldiers upon coming within the United States lines, depositing their arms, and returning to their homes, fifteen gourdes apiece and to each chief one hundred gourdes, I directed the Commanding Officer of the Castine to publish the Department’s proclamation and this information at Gonaives; the Commanding Officer of the Connecticut at Port de Paix; the Commanding Officer of the Eagle at Leogane, Petite Goave, and Miragoane; and I asked the American Consul at Port au Prince to take the necessary measures to direct the consular representatives at Port de Paix, Aux Cayes, Jacmel and Jeremie to publish the proclamation and give this notice to the people in their districts.