File No. 838.51/475
The Secretary of State to Minister Blanchard
Washington, February 12, 1916, 6 p.m.
Referring to Admiral Caperton’s radiograms 22408 and 00312 the Department sees no objection to permitting attachment of salaries by court injunction for legitimate debts only. But in view of purpose of this Government to do away with pernicious system of discounting salaries and Government orders, the Department believes that necessary steps should be immediately taken, preferably by the Haitian Government, to make attachment by “opposition” impossible under law. Should this prove impracticable for any reason, the Department believes that military order suggested by Admiral Caperton should be resorted to, notwithstanding its desire to show all respect for Haitian law. You will, therefore, confer with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and with the President if necessary, in order to obtain the cooperation of the Haitian Government in the endeavor to attain these ends by executive decree or otherwise, and report by cable.
As a military order would appear to afford the objection that legal action upon opposition attachments would merely be deferred and that resumption of discounting and presentation of claims would take place immediately upon the termination of the military order, the Department would prefer to consider this method as a last resort.