838.51/2680: Telegram
The Minister in Haiti (Armour) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 10:20 p.m.]
88. For Edwin Wilson. Department’s telegram No. 52, August 4, 5 p.m. A very delicate internal political situation which has existed here for some weeks was satisfactorily adjusted last night through a reconciliation between the President and the Senate. In reaching the decision to abandon a plebiscite and not to resort to extraconstitutional methods the President showed a commendable desire to meet our point of view as decided upon when I was in the Department. In announcing the settlement he referred to an approaching event of great importance to the country and certain Senators have been taken into his confidence regarding the terms of the forthcoming accord. The President insists and I heartily concur that it is of the utmost importance that the accord be signed and published as otherwise those who have fomented the trouble between the President and the Senate will use the delay not only to create suspicion but to open an advance attack against the signing of any treaty or accord. Having received the distinct impression when in Washington that the Department was ready to sign either draft of the accord and as the one we propose to sign is the more favorable of the two I felt safe in assuring the President this morning that I believed that there would be no difficulty in arranging for the signing tomorrow. If therefore the Department insists upon delay an embarrassing situation will be created. In fact I am not at all sure that the accord itself will not be endangered.63
- The Acting Secretary of State on August 5 authorized the Minister in Haiti to sign the agreement (838.51/2678, 2683).↩