838.51/2744: Telegram
The Minister in Haiti (Armour) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received December 1—1 a.m.]
128. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has just shown me an open radio telegram from Barau, member of the Haitian delegation to the Pan American Conference, dated Montevideo, 3 o’clock this afternoon, as follows:
“After exchange of notes Secretary of State is instructing American Minister to enter into negotiations definitive withdrawal financial control. Have proposed it [sic] National Bank for debt service. (Signed) Barau.”
The Minister for Foreign Affairs stated that the President feared that the telegram not being in cipher its contents will become public and that his opponents will claim that Bellegarde’s resignation75 and the protests of American organizations initiated from here secured this concession. For this reason the President desires to make public immediately his letter to President Roosevelt of November 16th (see my letter of November 20th to Wilson76) as well as his instructions to [Page 769] the Haitian delegation to Montevideo and Barau’s telegram as proof that he has not ceased to continue efforts to secure better terms.
I told the Foreign Minister that I was without any information as to such a change in policy and that while I was naturally not in a position to prevent their publishing a letter written by President Vincent if it later developed that Barau had jumped to conclusions or had misunderstood the Secretary, the Haitian Government might find itself in a somewhat embarrassing position.
He left me to speak again to the President but I feel they will nevertheless decide to publish the documents.
I should appreciate prompt instructions.