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Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Phillips) of a Conversation with the Counselor of the French Embassy (De Chambrun)
Count de Chambrun of the French Embassy called this afternoon and asked for the Department’s help in persuading the President of Haiti to retract [retreat?] from his present position and to consent to the exchange of notes which had already been arranged to take place between the French Ambassador and the Minister of Foreign affairs in Washington. The last despatch from Haiti which the French Government has received indicated that President Borno has decided to upset the whole scheme.
I told Count de Chambrun that we had received a telegram yesterday from General Russell4 showing that he was in touch with the situation and was doing his utmost to persuade President Borno not to upset the plan. I said also that we were sending today5 a telegram to General Russell approving of his course in this respect, and expressing the hope that President Borno would consent to the exchange of notes in Washington.