Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, 1930, Volume III

838.00 Commission of Investigation/132, 149: Telegram

The Chairman of the President’s Commission (Forbes) to the Acting Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]

[Port-au-Prince, March 15, 1930.]
[Received March 16.]

11. Your No. 5, March 15. Every precaution has been taken by the President’s Commission to avoid misunderstanding and the Commission believes it has done so. Our compromise plan and the compromise candidate have been formally accepted by the leaders of all the patriotic groups, eight in number, representing the opposition with whom we have been dealing, and by President Borno. Today the Commission issued the following statement to the press: (Statement forwarded in a separate telegram).¹²

Before this statement was issued to the press every word of it was definitely approved by a committee representing the leaders of the Opposition, and High Commissioner Russell submitted it to President Borno and secured his approval of the text. The above announcement has caused such universal favorable comment that it is felt there is little chance that effective opposition will arise. The situation has calmed down completely. The signed documents upon which we based our plans will follow in plain language as a part of this report.¹³

As High Commissioner Russell has conducted all negotiations with President Borno, the Commission has requested him to inform the Department of the steps which he has taken to secure the President’s approval and to telegraph the way in which it came about.

The Commission has announced the completion of its work here, interviewed M. Eugene Roy, the candidate, paid a farewell call upon President Borno, and it does not believe it can secure anything helpful by a longer stay in Haiti, and that to return will be misunderstood and probably hurt the situation.¹⁴ If the Department desires additional documents and signatures, the Commission believes High Commissioner Russell is in a position to secure them.

The Commission has read this report to High Commissioner Russell and he concurs in every statement therein.

W. Cameron Forbes

12. Dated March 16, p. 211.
13. See separate telegram of March 15, infra.

14. The members of the President’s Commission had evidently boarded the U. S. S. Rochester in preparation for their departure on March 16.

    In its telegram No. 6 of March 17 (not printed), the Department informed the Commission that it perceived no objection to the Commission’s returning to the United States at once (832.00 Commission of Investigation/99).