File No. 838.15/30
The Minister of Haiti to the Secretary of State
Washington, November 16, 1916.
Mr. Secretary of State: Referring to my note of July 3 last,4 I have the honor again to call your excellency’s attention to the difficulties that are even now hampering and checking the full operation of Article XIII of the convention concluded between the Republic of Haiti and the United States of America on September 16, 1915.
My Government at first thought those difficulties would be brought to an end by the appointment and induction of the engineer provided by the above-cited article, but it was not long before it had to contend with manifest reluctance.
At any rate, it was finally understood that the works and departments that were still in the hands of the American forces in Haiti would be turned over on October 1, 1916, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Yet nothing like it has been done as yet and it was in vain that the Secretary of State for Foreign Relations repeatedly addressed the Legation of the United States at Port au Prince to that effect, and particularly made known to it that the engineer appointed by the President of Haiti upon the nomination made by the President of the United States had formally declared to the Secretary of State for Public Works that he was ready to enter upon the full discharge of his official duties.
My Government has not ceased, since the exchange of ratifications of the convention, to look to and request its early complete observance. It confidently expects your excellency to agree with it in having Article XIII of the convention respected and fully enforced.
Be pleased [etc.]
- Not printed.↩