838.51A/197: Telegram
The Minister in Haiti (Munro) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 9:50 p.m.]
86. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is still very insistent on the abrogation of the accord of December 3rd, 1918,38 regarding the visa [Page 503] of the Financial Adviser. I have informed him very definitely that we cannot accept changes in the powers of the Financial Adviser. He apparently considers the abrogation of the accord extremely important from the political standpoint, however, even though the Government is compelled to continue the existing pre-audit system on some other basis. I am therefore inclined to suggest the following formula to him as a final concession subject to an agreement on all other points in the Haitianization accord and subject to the receipt of a satisfactory reply to my note regarding the budget:
“The accord of December 3rd, 1918, relating to the visa of the Financial Adviser on orders of payment issued by the Secretary of State for Finance, on the Receiver General of Customs or on the National Bank of the Republic of Haiti, shall be abrogated as soon as an agreement to govern the service of payments, to remain in effect pending the negotiation of a new accord regarding the Financial Services, shall be reached between the Minister of Finance and the Financial Adviser. This agreement governing the service of payments shall be based upon the maintenance of an adequate system of pre-audit by the Financial Adviser’s office”.
If absolutely necessary I should also be disposed to add the following sentence:
“In the case of budgetary expenditures excepting for the payment of claims the mandate shall be passed for payment if it shall appear that there is a sufficient credit, that the mandate is in proper legal form, and that it is accompanied by adequate justifying documents; the signature of the Minister of Finance being regarded as sufficient evidence of the necessity of the expenditure”.
Please inform me whether the Department approves.
- See telegram of December 4, 1918, from the Minister in Haiti, Foreign Relations, 1919, vol. ii, p. 312.↩