838.51/2568: Telegram

The Minister in Haiti ( Armour ) to the Secretary of State

132. The President leaves for Aux Cayes early Thursday, December 8th, where he is to make an important speech in connection with the Haitianization of the Department of the South. He wishes to mention in this speech a program of public works along the lines set forth in the Haitian note of November 18th (despatch No. 6, November 18th)8 even though it may not be possible for him to refer in definite terms to the exact nature of the work or to mention dates, et cetera.

Pixley has received from De la Rue a letter giving the situation to December 2nd which indicates that there is considerable interest on the part of the fruit companies and the bank in the Artibonite project, but nothing very definite or to indicate that the loan would be forthcoming within the immediate future.

If, as Pixley thinks probable, the President asks me before his departure how my Government views the proposal as presented in the note above mentioned I consider it very important to be in the position of at least having some intimation of the Department’s views.

Should the Department be prepared at this time to approve with safeguarding provisions the application of the Haitian Government for permission to increase the national debt in order to accomplish specified productive public works, I would of course in conveying this information to the President make clear to him that this approval would not necessarily have any effect as regards the willingness of the bankers, with whom the Haitian Government is now negotiating, to grant the desired loan.

Armour
  1. Not printed; but see telegram No. 129, November 19, 1932, 2 p.m., supra.