File No. 738.3915/152.]
The night [of the 19th] was spent at Anse-à-Pitre and the report which I
herewith enclose commences from there and works up to “Etang Saumatre”
or “Assuey” (Dominican “Laguna del Fondo”). * * *
[Inclosure.—Extract.]
Report on tour of inspection of frontier posts
from Anse-à-Pitre (
Pedernales) to
Lake Saumatre (
Laguna del Fondo).
* * * In summing up I have to say that from investigation I am
convinced that the Dominican Minister at Washington did not
correctly inform the Department when he wrote that shortly after the
assassination of the Dominican President the Haitian authorities,
under pretext of assisting the Dominican Government to capture the
assassins, crossed to the east side of the Pedernales River, which
they continue to occupy. This is the substance of the Department’s
June 29.
The facts as I have ascertained them are these: the Dominicans
voluntarily withdrew their guards from Bois d’Homme, Fuerte Victoria
(Cabeza de Agua), Côte Espagnol and Bois Tombé in 1911, in order to
have their troops nearer to the capital because of the
assassination, and the Haitians, who were preparing to drive them
from some of the places, did then take such as I have designated
[Page 363]
in this report. Haitian
troops do not today occupy but one of the places, though the Haitian
posts are so placed that it would be impossible for the Dominicans
to have any advantage if the Dominicans occupied the places now
deserted.
The Haitian Government promised to deliver the assassins if they
crossed into Haiti, but even the Dominican Minister here and the
Dominican guards with whom I have conversed do not allege what the
Dominican Minister at Washington states as a fact: that the Haitian
Government gained the places through a ruse.
In fact, taking it all in all, it appears to me that the Dominicans
have resorted to exaggerations and misstatements, with a view to
obtaining the sympathy of the Department. They cannot help but know
that the Haitians are not occupying the Dominican positions at Bois
d’Homme, Corte Español and Bois Tonibé, and their giving new Spanish
names to places heretofore known under French names has done much to
complicate matters when a question of occupancy has been
discussed.
The line drawn on the Dominican map to show present Haitian occupancy
is fantastic, and might just as well for effect been drawn further
to the east to include a larger area. The facts are that the present
Haitian occupancy is along the line indicated by Captain Young on
his map of 1907. From the top of the mountain from which I had a
bird’s-eye view of Lakes Limon, Enriquillo and Sumatra, it appears
to me that the Dominican map is wrong in that section.
In concluding I have to say that the only violation of the status quo
winch I found is the Haitian occupation of what the Dominicans style
Fuerte Victoria, which is opposite Tête-à l’Eau Haitien, and under
the conditions already explained as to the situation I do not think
it advisable or prudent for the Domincans to occupy this place. Its
surrender to the Dominicans would entail no loss whatever to the
Haitians.
As to the Haitian posts near the lakes, I am convinced that the
Haitians have not moved them further to the east than they were when
the good offices of the United States were requested. In my opinion
the right of the Haitians to maintain them in their present position
will be a matter to be regulated by a definite settlement of the
boundary, and is not a question to be discussed in the preparation
of an agreement for submission of the boundary question to
arbitration.
H. W. Furniss.
Port au Prince
, July 27, 1912.
