838.24/425: Airgram
The Ambassador in Haiti (White) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 20—5 p.m.]
A–147. Decentralization Plan38 was inaugurated April 15 as planned. Greene and Adam39 on recent visit here stressed to Haitian Government and this Embassy the requirement that each set of Import Recommendations contain articles comprising a single Schedule B40 number.
A number of importers, as well as officials of the Country Agency,41 have raised objections, some strongly, that it would prove a real hardship to them because of the character of the import of many articles of small quantity at a single time to obtain separate forms. There is absolutely no question that, aside from a very limited number of wholesalers who deal in flour, cement and other such articles which they buy in quantity, the great mass of importers in Haiti will experience hardship to a varying degree in conforming to this regulation because of the general character of imports into Haiti, the inability of the bulk of importers to order except for virtually current needs because of lack of finances and stringent credit restrictions, etc.
Another important factor which must be considered in this connection is the charge amounting to 10 cents United States currency for each set of forms. Upon the visit of Greene and Adam the Country Agency stated that it would be obliged to charge a nominal amount to cover high paper and other costs and it indicated that it would charge four cents. In the case of numerous importers of small articles the requirement of filling out numerous forms unquestionably will constitute a burden, and in spite of any explanations which this Embassy may make the possibility must be considered that the United States Government will be subjected to unfavorable criticism.
This Embassy, with Dowling of BEW42 concurring, strongly recommends that this provision be waived insofar as Haiti is concerned and that it be allowed to accept single sets of Import Recommendations covering any number of items in a given major group in Schedule B filed by a single importer and ordered from a single exporter in the [Page 227] United States. This will involve in many instances attachment to each copy of Import Recommendation forms a detailed list of articles, weights, prices, etc., in the nature of a commercial order.
Meanwhile, the Country Agency, despite instructions to the contrary given both by itself and by this Embassy, is receiving numerous sets of forms comprising articles bearing more than one Schedule B number and with detailed commercial orders attached to each form of the set. The Country Agency is returning all such forms, but long delays in obtaining correctly filled sets are anticipated, particularly from importers outside of Port-au-Prince because of transportation-communication difficulties.
Closely related to the recommendation under reference is the fact that despite the magnitude of the task facing the Country Agency, owing to lack of experienced personnel, it is composed of only three men with very limited capabilities as measured by American standards. The Embassy has made a number of suggestions with a view to effecting orderly administrative procedure within the Agency, but little has resulted. The Agency now gives indication of being overwhelmed with the work which it is expected to do, especially with the volume that may be expected if forms are required for every Commerce B number. As the Department may be aware, the Haitian Government work day is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., with numerous holidays, with overtime work virtually non-existent.
Unless a modification of some character is permitted in the use of the forms I question very seriously whether the Decentralization Plan can be made to succeed in Haiti.43
I should appreciate instructions as urgently as possible.
- Decentralization Plan A; for an outline of the plan, see circular airgram of January 19, 8 p.m., p. 106.↩
- William Greene of the Board of Economic Warfare and Hector C. Adam of the Department of State were assigned to assist local agencies in inaugurating a decentralized system of controls of U.S. exports.↩
- A statistical classification of domestic and foreign commodities for export from the United States, issued by the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.↩
- The agency in Haiti responsible for exercising trade controls.↩
- Board of Economic Warfare.↩
- In airgram No. A–322, May 8, 5:50 p.m., the Department advised that the Board of Economic Warfare would accept Import Recommendations covering more than one Schedule B number in hardship cases. In airgram No. A–369, June 15, 7 p.m., however, this was countermanded, and no immediate relief was provided.↩