Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, 1931, Volume II

838.00/3001: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Haiti (Munro)

Washington, July 17, 1931—noon.

53. Your urgent telegrams Nos. 78, July 17 [14], 7 p.m., and 80, July 15, 1 p.m.

1. Department is inclined to feel, in the absence of a contrary opinion from Doctor Stuart, that it would be inadvisable for the American direction of sanitary districts of Port au Prince and Cape Haitien in substitution for the present complete control of Haitian Health Service to be reduced to an advisory role. The Department therefore approves of your continued endeavor to obtain an agreement for full American administrative control.

2. Pending the conclusion of a new agreement, based on Article VIII of the Protocol of October 3, 1919, and the pertinent provisions of the Treaty of 1915, this Government must insist upon the maintenance intact of the Financial Service. You may accede, however, should you deem it expedient, to the change in formula providing for the submission of proposed legislation for the prior accord of the treaty officials, as authorized by the Department’s telegram No. 44, June 22, 2 p.m.

3. On the understanding that it will not prejudice the position of employees of the Service Technique with respect to indemnification (see paragraph 2, sub-paragraph (b) of the Department’s telegram No. 47, July 3, 1931, 2 p.m.³⁶), you are authorized in your discretion to waive payment of an indemnity to the non-commissioned personnel in the public works service.

4. Reference your telegram No. 80, July 15, 1 p.m. While as above stated (paragraph 2) this Government desires to maintain the financial services intact pending negotiations of a new agreement, if you find it expedient in the interest of reaching an early joint accord, you may offer the immediate Haitianization of the administration of state lands.

5. As the Department deems it inopportune to consider any protocol of evacuation prior to the execution of a satisfactory general accord concerning the Haitianization of the treaty services, it is disinclined to approve the incorporation in the accord of even the non-committal formula suggested by you unless you deem it absolutely essential in the interests of achieving a satisfactory agreement.

With reference to the second paragraph of your telegram No. 80, of July 15, 1 p.m., you are authorized to render effective the projected Haitianization accord by an exchange of notes without submitting the final text for the Department’s approval, if there is not time therefor, upon carefully ascertaining that the agreement embodies to your satisfaction and that of the treaty officials concerned the features set forth in the Department’s telegrams Nos. 47 of July 3, 2 p.m., and 48, July 3, 3 p.m., as modified by the present telegraphic instructions. If you can do so without jeopardizing the conclusion of the agreement the Department would like to have the text thereof cabled for its consideration.

Castle

36. Par. 2 (b) of this telegram not printed; it provided that American civilian officials of the Public Works, Public Health, and Agricultural Services should receive suitable indemnification upon their separation from those organizations.