Self-Determining Haiti Part 5

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of August 2 in which you ask this office to inform you regarding the reasons for the non-delivery, up to the present time, of the checks for His Excellency the President of the Republic, for the departmental secretaries, the state councilors, and the palace interpreter, for the month of July.

In reply this office hastens to inform you that up to the present time it has not been put in possession of the mandates and orders regarding these payments.

A. J. MAUMUS, Receiver General.

III.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 2, 1920.

TO THE FINANCIAL ADVISER

The Department of Finance, informed that checks for His Excellency the President of the Republic, the departmental secretaries, the state councilors, and the palace interpreter had not been delivered up to this morning, August 2, reported the fact to the Receiver General of Customs asking to be informed regarding the reasons. The Receiver General replied immediately that the delay was due to his failure to receive the necessary mandates and orders. But these papers were sent to you by the Department of Finance on July 21, and were returned by the payment service of the Department of the Interior on July 26, a week ago.

I inclose copies of the note from the Department of Finance to the Receiver General, and of Mr. Maumus's reply.

I should like to believe that bringing this matter to your attention would be sufficient to remedy it.

FLEURY FEQUIERE, Secretary of Finance.

IV.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 5, 1920.

TO THE SECRETARY OF FINANCE AND COMMERCE

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of August 2, regarding the delay in payment of the salaries of the President of the Republic, secretaries, and state councilors.

In reply I have the honor to inform you that the payment of these salaries has been suspended by order of the American Minister until further orders are received from him.

J. MCILHENNY, Financial Adviser.

V.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 10, 1920.

TO THE FINANCIAL ADVISER

I acknowledge receipt of your note of August 5 in reply to mine of August 2 asking information regarding the reasons for your non-payment of the salaries for last July due to His Excellency the President of the Republic, the secretaries, and state councilors, and the palace interpreter.

I note the second paragraph of your letter, in which you say, "In reply, etc."

I do not know by what authority the American Minister can have given you such instructions or by what authority you acquiesced. The non-payment of the salaries due the members of the Government const.i.tutes a confiscation vexatious for them and for the entire country. It is not the function of this department to judge the motives which led the American Minister to take so exceptionally serious a step; but it is the opinion of the Government that the Financial Adviser, a Haitian official, was not authorized to acquiesce.

FLEURY FEQUIERE, Secretary of Finance.

VI.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 5, 1920.

MR. A. BAILLY-BLANCHARD, American Minister

I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the offices of the Financial Adviser and of the Receiver General have not yet delivered the checks for the July salaries of His Excellency the President of the Republic, of the secretaries, state councilors, and palace interpreter, although all other officials were paid on July 30.

The Secretary of Finance wrote to the Receiver General asking information on the subject, and was informed that he had not received the necessary mandates and orders. The fact of the non-delivery of the checks and the reply of the Receiver General were then brought to the attention of the Financial Adviser, who has not yet replied.

In informing your Legation of this situation, I call the attention of Your Excellency to this new att.i.tude of the Financial Adviser, a Haitian official, to the President of the Republic and the other members of the Government, an att.i.tude which is an insult to the entire nation.

J. BARAU, Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

VII.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 6, 1920.

MR. A. BAILLY-BLANCHARD, American Minister

I have the honor to inclose a copy of a note from the Financial Adviser to the Secretary of Finance, replying to a request for information regarding the non-payment of checks....

In his reply the Financial Adviser informs the Department of Finance that "the payment of these salaries has been suspended by order of the American Minister until further orders are received from him."

My Government protests against this act of violence which is an attack upon the dignity of the people and Government of Haiti.

J. BARAU, Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

VIII.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 6, 1920.

MR. J. BARAU, Secretary of Foreign Affairs

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's note under date of August 5.

In reply I have to state that the action of the Financial Adviser therein referred to was taken by direction of this Legation.

A. BAILLY-BLANCHARD, American Minister.

IX.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 7, 1920.

MR. A. BAILLY-BLANCHARD, American Minister

In reply to my letter of August 5 in which I had the honor to inform Your Excellency of the non-payment of checks, ... Your Excellency informs me that it is by direction of the Legation of the United States that the Financial Adviser acted.