838.51/3058: Telegram
The Chargé in Haiti (Chapin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:44 p.m.]
111. In a further interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning he stated that as a result of our conversation yesterday [Page 698] he had been authorized by the President to show me the letter from Debachy to President Vincent of which an extract was forwarded in the Legation’s despatch No. 42 of October 21.83
The letter which was brief contained nothing of great interest except that it set amount due of retiring American loan at 165,000,000 francs. At present rate of exchange this is practically sufficient providing Haitian Treasury investments amounting to $640,000 are deducted from amount outstanding of the 1922 loan.
Although he stated that he knew of no other correspondence in existence, I desire to point out that the President who handled the whole affair personally has not given this assurance.
The Foreign Minister informed me Haitian Government did not intend to make a reply to Mayard’s last cable pending news of some reaction from the Department of State and has assumed that Debachy must carry out contract as stipulated and that any delay will be for his account and penalty clause thus become operative against him if first payment not made December 3.
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