711.38/127: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Haiti (Bailly-Blanchard)

Your September 24, 4 p.m. Confidential.

Proposed laws submitted by Haitian Government to the Legation should be discussed and thoroughly considered by you and the Treaty official to whose province the proposed legislation pertains whereupon the matter could be considered at the weekly conference. If thereafter, there is no objection to the proposed laws you will so advise the Haitian Government, but should there be objection discuss it with the President of Haiti and any of his Cabinet whose presence he may desire in cooperation with any of the Treaty officials you may wish or by you alone. If you and the Haitian Government cannot arrive at a successful solution of the objection, inform the Department fully thereof by cable and request that Government to delay any enactment pending an opportunity for this Department to study the question and express an opinion thereon.

As you will observe from the above statement the Department desires that you and the conference should decide most of the questions relative to the advisability of proposed new legislation without referring same to the Department, and it is left to your discretion when to request the opinion of the Department as to whether it is necessary to object to a proposed law or suggest its alteration by the Haitian Government, while it is yet under consideration.

Lansing