838.51/943b: Telegram

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

63. In its reply to the cable sent to the President by the President of Haiti, conveyed to you in another telegram, the Department has stated that it has suggested to you that you may, if in your opinion such a step is advisable, suspend the action which you have taken in directing that the salaries of the members of the Haitian Government be withheld, for a period of 30 days. The Department desires you to adopt the measure indicated if there is any evidence of a change in the attitude of the Haitian Government upon receipt of the Department’s statement, tending to show that the Government of Haiti is willing to adopt a policy of frank cooperation with the Government of the United States in carrying out the purposes of the Treaty, and any indication that they intend to repeal the legislation passed in violation of the agreement to submit such legislation to the American Legation before promulgation.

The Department has been greatly hampered in forming an opinion as to the legislation in question by your failure to provide it with full and explicit information on this point. If you have not already done so, the Department desires you to send by the next mail copies of all laws, passed in violation of the agreement referred to, which you have stated are unsound and improper. The Department once more desires to impress upon you the necessity of your keeping it fully informed of all developments in the present situation, and in particular desires you to advise it immediately if you deem it desirable to take the step suggested by the Department and suspend the withholding of salaries of officials of the Haitian Government for the period indicated.

Colby