838.51/1051
The French Ambassador ( Jusserand ) to the Acting Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary of State: In the latter part of the month of August last, the competent office of the State Department was good enough to give this Embassy the assurance that the coupons of the Haitian 5½ gold loan of 1910 would be paid at maturity, on November 15.
It now appears, from information transmitted to me by my Government under date of November 28 last, that the intention to pay the coupon was not announced, and the Haitian Government or its representatives took advantage of the fall caused by this failure to pay the coupons, and bought in the stock market of Paris some hundreds of bonds.
This proceeding seems all the more unaccountable as, according to the information which the Department of State kindly furnished unofficially to the Embassy, the funds required for the payment of the coupon had been sent in good time to the agency of the Farmers [Page 843] Loan Company in Paris, to be turned over at the proper time to the Banque de l’Union Parisienne and to the Banque Industrielle.
The American Government will no doubt share the view of the Government of the Republic that such proceedings, tending to induce the French holders of the bonds to relinquish them at a price lower than that which they should command, cannot be regarded as proper. My Government trusts that you will kindly call these facts to the attention of the Haitian Government and its Financial Adviser and impress upon them the necessity of resuming the regular service of the three Haitian loans.
Be pleased [etc.]
- File translation revised.↩