838.51/3251: Telegram

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

65. Department’s instruction No. 438 of December 16 received this morning. With respect to salaries of the fiscal representative and deputy fiscal representative, letter from Châtelain attached to my despatch 36536 which left here by airship yesterday should now be in the Department.

Léger contends that this letter only states that these salaries “remain” the same as in the past; i. e., that the letter only covers the situation which then obtained of a fiscal representative’s office separate and distinct from the bank and that it does not provide for what will happen when this office shall disappear.

This overlooks the point that the letter was addressed to de la Rue as president of the board of directors of the bank, and the ever important point that the letter would make no sense unless it referred to the salaries of the fiscal representative and deputy fiscal representative when their office should eventually be closed and they moved over to the bank, inasmuch as the salaries of de la Rue and Pixley as fiscal representative and deputy fiscal representative respectively by virtue of article IX of the agreement of August 7, 1933 are the subject of accord between the two Governments, moreover, de la Rue and Pixley both having been designated officers of the bank at the time of signing the bank contract their compensation is foreseen by article VIII of the bank contract and the letter from Châtelain can only reasonably be interpreted as intending to give expression and effect to the provisions of this article at such time as, after a period of abeyance, the two officers in question should move to the bank and perform services there over and above their duties as members of the board of directors.

Accordingly I think that we should maintain the assertion made on page 1 line 3 of the list of salaries of the personnel attached to the memorandum plan of organization and put the onus of disapproving it upon Léger. I only suggest that on lines 6 and 7 of page 1 the phrase “when elected to the Board of Directors of the bank” be eliminated; a card from Châtelain dated July 19 states that de la Rue and Pixley had already been elected to the board of directors on July 8. Please reply by telegraph.

Gordon
  1. Dated December 19; not printed.