838.51/3441: Telegram
The Chargé in Haiti (Finley) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:45 p.m.]
73. Department’s 43, September 3, 5 p.m.3 I informed Leger this morning of the contents of the first paragraph of the Department’s telegram under reference. In reply he handed me a copy of a telegram dated September 3 which he has received from Chatelain as follows (translation):
“I received last evening from the Quai d’Orsay the following note:
‘In the course of the negotiations with regard to the loan of 1910 various propositions for the arrangement of this matter have been envisaged. In order to permit these negotiations to be usefully pursued, the Minister for Foreign Affairs would be grateful to the Haitian Legation if it would be kind enough to confirm by note what are actually the official propositions which the Haitian Government desires to present’.
“Moreover, the American Embassy told me this noon that a decision had been made in the morning by the French Government to divorce the two questions, which decision will be communicated today to the Minister of France to Haiti in order to get ready the treaty of commerce.”
Leger remarked that while the French told the Paris Embassy that the two questions had been divorced, they apparently had said nothing of the sort to Chatelain and had even proposed to him simultaneously that the Haitian Government set forth in writing its official proposals for the settlement of the 1910 question. Before instructing Chatelain what to reply, Leger said he would be grateful if the American Ambassador in Paris following his conversation with Delbos could shed any light on this possible dissimulation. De Kuli has not yet seen Leger and the latter is unaware what instructions may have been received by him.
Draft of proposed Franco-Haitian commercial convention by tomorrow’s air mail.
- Not printed.↩