838.00/2076b
The Secretary of State to the High Commissioner in Haiti (Russell)
Sir: The Department has carefully considered the confidential memorandum sent to you by the President of Haiti and referred by you to the Department, expressing the views of the President of Haiti regarding the advisability of holding legislative elections in that country in January, 1926.
You may inform President Borno that this Government will interpose no objection should the President of Haiti, acting within his own discretion, conclude that it would be inadvisable to issue a call for legislative elections to be held in January, 1926. It should be made clear that this Government does not wish to express an opinion at this time as to the advisability of holding or not holding the elections, and that it prefers that the President of Haiti should act upon his own responsibility in the matter.
While appreciating the difficulties involved in an attempt to hold popular elections in Haiti under existing conditions, the Department considers that the Government of the United States is obligated by its undertaking to lend an efficient aid for the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of life, property and individual liberty to assist the Haitian Government in the development of a satisfactory electoral system, which is indispensable to the maintenance of a stable government in a country whose constitution is based upon republican principles. The Department desires, therefore, that a plan should be formulated for the reform of the existing electoral legislation [Page 299] in Haiti and that adequate legislation should be drafted to govern the communal elections which are now held, and to govern the national elections when it is considered advisable to hold such elections. The Department will be glad to have you prepare a plan for the establishment of a proper electoral system.
I am [etc.]