838.51/2659
The Minister in Haiti (Armour) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received June 8.]
Sir: With reference to my telegram No. 52 of May 17, 6 p.m. I have the honor to report that in view of the political situation last reported in my telegram No. 57 of May 26, 1 p.m.,54 President Vincent has told me that he is particularly anxious to be able to announce at an early date, the conclusion of an executive accord providing for the date of the completion of the Haitianization of the Garde and the withdrawal of the Marines, it being understood that an accord on future financial administration will be reached after the present legislative session.
The Department may therefore wish to consider the advisability of instructing me to discuss the matter with the President along the following lines:
That while the Department has been of the opinion that the program set out in the Treaty of September 3, 1932 should be carried out as a whole and that it could not be put into effect piecemeal it is nevertheless examining in a sympathetic spirit his proposal that separate accords be concluded on military and financial matters.
That while the United States desires to terminate as soon as practical and in an orderly manner the special situation created by the Treaty of 1915, it is bound, equally with the Haitian Government, by the Protocol of 1919 to reach an accord regarding financial administration after 1936. Were it not for these obligations under the Protocol the United States would be glad to terminate its present responsibilities in connection with Haiti’s financial administration conjointly with the abrogation of the military clauses of the Treaty of 1915.
That the failure to provide the accord mentioned in Article 8 of the Protocol of 1919 has naturally introduced a complicating factor in the relations of the two governments. The American Government had always felt entire confidence that an accord on the question of future financial administration would be provided before 1936 and this confidence proved to be justified insofar as the Executive Government was concerned, for the Haitian Government recognized and gave expression to the financial obligations, which it shares mutually with [Page 746] the United States Government, in Protocol B of the unratified Treaty of September 3, 1932. However the Legislature rejected this treaty, which action would seem to indicate that there is at this time in Haiti a political element which from political considerations, extraneous to the purely legal question involved, either desires to disregard Haiti’s obligations under the Protocol of 1919 or is as yet ignorant of these obligations.
That my government feels that under a reasonable interpretation of the Protocol of 1919 it would be justified after 1936, in continuing essentially the existing measure of financial administration even in the absence of the definite accord foreseen in Article VIII of the protocol above mentioned. It feels than [that?] an international arbitral tribunal would confirm this interpretation.
Therefore before finally considering the proposal of the Haitian Government that we conclude at this time an executive accord providing for the liquidation of the military clauses of the Treaty of 1915 to be followed in the near future by an accord, subject to legislative ratification, fixing the measures of financial administration to be in effect after 1936, my government desires further assurances as to the exact terms of the accord the Haitian Government is prepared to reach regarding the financial administration after 1936 and what steps it proposes to take to insure its ratification.
I would appreciate being instructed by telegraph whether the Department desires me to discuss with President Vincent his proposal of separate accords on the pending issues along the lines proposed in this despatch. I would also appreciate being instructed at the same time whether the Department is prepared to offer any concessions in the matter of an accord on future financial administration from the terms of Protocol B of the unratified treaty of September 3, 1932, perhaps along the lines of those which I have informally submitted in personal letters to Mr. Wilson.
Respectfully yours,
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