File No. 838.51/445.
Minister Blanchard to the Secretary of State.
Port au Prince, December 11, 1915—3 p.m.
Your December 2. As commission is arriving at Washington, respectfully recommend that an advance to the Haitian Government of $500,000 be now made available.
The Haitian Government insists that this amount is absolutely necessary to pay in full salaries of Government employees for this quarter, and debts of honor, it being desirable to make these payments by December 20 in the interest of humanity and to give visible proofs throughout the Republic of good results of American treaty and intervention, thus sustaining prestige of both local government and Haitian Government.