File No. 838.111/80.]
No. 1086.]
American Legation,
Port au Prince,
June 19, 1912.
[Inclosure.—Translation]
The Haitian Minister for
Foreign Affairs to the American
Minister.
Foreign Office,
Port au Prince,
January 29, 1912.
Mr. Minister: I have had the honor to
receive your note No. 560 of the 8th instant, replying to mine of
December 281 last
concerning the notice inserted in the “Moniteur” of the 9th of the
same month. This communication, however, like the first which you
have taken the trouble to address me on this subject, is identical
with the notes of the Ministers of France and the Dominican
Republic, the Consuls of England and Cuba, which shows a previous
understanding. I can only regret the tendency of the Representatives
of the Foreign Powers to profit by the least incident to have
recourse to the means of collective or identical notes. In calling
your attention to the inconvenience of such practice, I am pleased
to hope that I can count on your kind cooperation to aid me to
discourage it.
In the meantime, I shall ask of you the permission not to bring into
discussion laws actually in force and which the Haitian Government
is obliged to execute. I shall take, however, the liberty to remark
that the measures of exclusion enacted in the United States and in
Cuba especially with regard to the Chinese do not only treat, as
your excellency maintains, of the regulation of the conditions of
admission of the new arrivals; for the Chinese who are already found
on the territory of these two countries can be expelled without
considering whether or not the forced departure will prejudice their
interests or the interests of third parties. These laws of exclusion
have especially for their purpose, as I have previously shown, the
protection of nationals against competition deemed prejudicial. The
Republic of Haiti, therefore, does nothing contrary to international
usage when, in its turn, it strives to safeguard the interests of
its citizens. Therefore, it can only be surprised at the menace
which is made it to give the greatest publicity to the fact that the
liberty and security of commerce has received a serious blow. Strong
in its right, the Republic of Haiti will leave such an accusation to
the appreciation of all those who have made fortunes in it, as also
all those who continue to do a lucrative business therein under a
protection which it has never spared.
[Page 541]
I wish, consequently, to believe that this will end in the
recognition of the good intentions with which it is animated and I
take this occasion to renew to you [etc.].
