838.51/2594: Telegram
The Minister in Haiti (Armour) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:15 p.m.]
10. The President asked me to come to see him this morning. The Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Finance, also De la Rue, were present. He expressed great concern at the delay in reaching a decision in the $400,000 revolving credit, that it was a humiliating position in which his Government found itself in that, although its financial condition and record were admittedly excellent, after 3 months of negotiation there still seemed to be no immediate prospect of a decision on the loan. I explained that the delay had certainly not been due to any action or lack of action by the Department, that on January 20 last a tentative proposal was for the first time presented to the Department by the bankers. As I had already informed the Minister of Foreign Affairs that while the Department was not inhospitable to the proposal it obviously could not render a decision until the plan was presented in final form.
The President after expressing indignation at the treatment they had received from the bank in this and other matters, then instructed the Minister of Finance to get in touch immediately with the Bank of Canada to see whether they could consider making the advance.
In the meantime Voorhees32 received a telegram this morning from the bank as follows:
“Expect to forward proposed contract next week for submission to the Haitian Government. After accord reached with them on contract proceed at once present it to State Department for final approval.”
While I realize that there is little the Department can do until the contract is finally presented, perhaps it may wish to authorize me to inform the President that once he and the bank reach an agreement on the terms of the loan contract the Department will lose no time in rendering its decision. The President earnestly asked me to explain the difficulty of his position to the Department. He desires to carry out the program set forth in the Haitian Government’s note of January 30th (see my despatch 61 [62], February 1) but time is getting short and he fears lest its success may be jeopardized by continued delay. A word of encouragement from the Department at this time would, I feel, be of value.
- Manager of the National City Bank.↩