338.6253/5: Telegram
The Minister in Haiti (Bailly-Blanchard) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 22—10:19 a.m.]
44. Department’s July 12th, 5 p.m. According to the project of law the Haitian creditors are to be paid out of the liquidated funds of those German firms who are solvent. Not so with the American or other Allied creditors who must look to the German firms for settlement of their claims after the unliquidated property shall have been returned to them. The Haitian German Mixed Arbitral Tribunal provided by section 6 of the Treaty of Peace on the request of the British Government was in due time constituted in London; this tribunal will judge the differences which are within its jurisdiction by the terms of the Treaty of Peace.
In conformity with paragraph e of article 296 on June 7th, 1920, the Haitian Government charged its Minister at Paris to notify the German Government through the intermediary of the Swiss Legation, charged with Haitian interests at Berlin, that the Haitian Government adhered to article 296 of the Treaty of Peace and that there would be created at Port au Prince the Office of Verification and of Compensation.
By decree of November 22, 1920, in conformity with the law of September 20, 1920, the Haitian Office of Verification and of Compensation was created. The [members] of the commission have already made their report to the Haitian Government. All claims presented were transmitted to the German Office of Debts at Berlin as soon as they were presented. The German Office had named a representative, Mister Helmcke, near the Haitian Office.
The representatives of Belgium, Great Britain and France had asked the Haitian Government to agree by virtue of paragraph f of article 296 of the Treaty of Peace to apply the provisions of this article to their nationals established in Haiti. In spite of the affirmative reply of the Haitian Government no agreement has been concluded.