[Enclosure—Translation]
The Haitian Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Leger)
to the American Chargé (Finley)
Port-au-Prince, August 13,
1937.
Mr. Chargé d’affaires: I desire to confirm
in all points the conversation which we have had this morning
regarding the attitude of the Haitian Government concerning the
non-official propositions which had been envisaged for the
settlement of the controversy with France as to the matter of the
1910 loan.
On July 19 I declared to the French Minister at Port-au-Prince that
the Haitian Government could not let the existing situation be
prolonged; that we thought that the moment had come for us to
determine what were the intentions of the French Government; that as
a consequence I asked him to be kind enough to let me know
definitely whether his Government accepted or not the non-official
proposals envisaged for the settlement of the 1910 matter; and
whether they were or were not disposed to sign the treaty of
commerce which we had negotiated. I likewise declared to the
Minister of France that if his Government did not let me learn of
its acceptance of the non-official propositions, the Haitian
Government would consider itself divested of all moral obligations
with regard to this matter, and would recover its absolute freedom
of action with regard to the 1910 controversy.
Monsieur de Lens asked for a delay of eight days in order to obtain a
reply of his Government to this notification.
As a precaution, on July 211 cabled to my Minister at Paris asking
him to confirm to the Quai d’Orsay the declarations which I had made
to the French Minister at Port-au-Prince. On July 23, Monsieur
Chatelain replied by cable that my instructions had been
executed.
M. de Lens having delayed in letting me know the reply of the French
Government, I declared to him, during the course of a new
conversation which took place at the end of the month of July, that
the Haitian Government had recovered its complete liberty of action
and did not consider itself bound in any manner by the non-official
proposals previously envisaged. This declaration, which was quite
clear, was confirmed during the course of two other conversations
which I had with M. de Lens during the first days of August with
regard to certain details of the treaty of commerce which was under
discussion. No doubt can exist in the mind of M. de Lens as to the
attitude of the Haitian Government, and it is equally certain from
these conversations that M. de Lens has transmitted to his
Government the declaration which I have made to him.
[Page 587]
I am therefore able with difficulty to explain the misunderstanding
which seems to exist with regard to the position taken by the
Haitian Government; I am able to explain still less the declarations
which have been made to the American Ambassador by Minister
Chatelain and which you were good enough to bring to my attention
this morning.
To end this inexplicable situation, I have cabled again this morning
to the Minister of Haiti at Paris, asking him to dissipate the
erroneous impression brought about by the conversation which the
American Ambassador had with him on the 11th of August and giving
him instructions to confirm, if he judges it necessary, to the Quai
d’Orsay the declarations which have already been made by the Haitian
Government with regard to the 1910 controversy.
Please accept [etc.]
