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

838.00/2915

The Minister in Haiti (Munro) to the Secretary of State

Port-au-Prince, December 5, 1930.
[Received December 9.]

No. 14

Sir: With reference to my telegram No. 249, December 5, 1930, 1 p.m.,⁵¹ I have the honor to transmit herewith copies in French and English of the plan prepared by the Haitian Government for the immediate Haitianization of the Treaty Services.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs called at the Legation and handed this plan to me with the statement that it was intended to serve as a basis for discussion and that he and the President would like to talk the whole subject over with me and reach an understanding satisfactory to both governments regarding the course to be pursued. I promised to study the plan and said that I should probably wish to submit a matter of this importance to the Department for its consideration.

This morning, when I called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs about another matter, he asked me whether I was prepared to discuss the Haitianization plan. I said that I had not yet completed my study of it, but that I would endeavor to do so as soon as possible. I remarked, however, that I thought that it would prove impossible to carry out the Haitianization of the Treaty Services as rapidly as the plan contemplated. The Minister said that the question of time was not particularly important so long as there was no doubt about the ultimate intention of the Government of the United States to turn over the control of the Treaty Services in accordance with the Forbes plan.⁵² He said that the Haitian Government wished to proceed in the closest harmony with the Legation in this matter and also wished to effect the change in such a way as to preserve the efficiency of the Treaty Services. His statement confirmed my impression based on information from unofficial sources that the purpose of the Government in presenting the plan was to convince the public that it was carrying out the platform on which it had been elected, rather than to attempt to force any immediate radical changes in the Treaty Services. Mr. Chauvet, whose attitude is well known to the Department, remarked to one of the Secretaries of the Legation that the acceptance in full of the plan by the United States would of course be a betrayal of trust and would show a disregard of our obligations under the Treaty. I may say that the Government has permitted the publication of the substance of the plan in the newspapers.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has informed me that the Government will subsequently present a plan dealing with the Garde d’Haiti. I suspect that it is not prepared to request such rapid Haitianization of this organization as of the other Treaty Services.

I intend to discuss the problem of Haitianization in each Treaty Service with the Treaty Officials during the next few days. As the Department is aware, the Treaty Services have already worked out more or less definite programs for Haitianization and I intend to use these as a basis for further discussion with the Haitian Government. I shall keep the Department informed of all developments and shall request instructions when matters have reached a point where it appears proper to do so.

Respectfully yours,

Dana G. Munro

[Enclosure—Translation]

The Haitian Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sannon) to the American Minister (Munro)

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to His Excellency M. Dana G. Munro, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America and has the honor to submit to him, in accordance with their interview, the plan prepared by the Haitian Government for the immediate Haitianization of the Public Services established by virtue of the Treaty between Haiti and the United States, a plan based upon the recommendations of the Forbes Commission and in conformity with the declarations of President Hoover.

Port-au-Prince, December 2, 1930.

[Subenclosure—Translation]

Plan for Haitianization of the Treaty Services, Based on the Recommendations of the Forbes Commission and in Conformity with the Declarations of President Hoover

During the last fifteen years, the Haitians have been sufficiently trained in the functioning of the different Treaty Services.⁵³ It now remains to complete their training in executive functions within wisely prescribed periods for the Haitianization of the said Services.

I. Travaux Publics

1. Maximum period for Haitianization: 1 year.

2. Immediate appointment of a Haitian Engineer-in-Chief who will direct the service, the duties of the present American Engineer, during the Haitianization period, to consist in giving technical advice to the Government and lending it his assistance.

3. On the first of December of next year, the duties of the American Advisor-Engineer shall cease and the Haitian Engineer-in-Chief shall remain in sole charge of the technical service of the Department.

4. Immediate dismissal of all foreign employees, engineers or others who are not commissioned.

5. Replacement of all foreign employees who are not commissioned by Haitians, according to the needs of the service.

6. Within three months, all the section chiefs of the department of Public Works shall be Haitians.

7. Immediate commencement of road building, with the object of completing the Haitian road system. This work shall be carried out in conformity with decisions which shall be given by the Haitian Government. For the time being, no large bridges shall be constructed of which the cost exceeds the present capacity of the Treasury.

8. Incorporation of the School of Applied Sciences in the Public Works Service, for the training and assured recruiting of technical personnel.

9. Creation of an apprentice school of Public Works at the side of the School of Applied Sciences, designed to train foremen and competent workmen for the different branches of the Service.

10. Immediate suppression of the agency of the D. G. T. P. in New York for the furnishing of material to the Service. Opening of bids for the supply of this material in conformity with Haitian law, in the interest of commerce.

II. Service d’Hygiene

Maximum Haitianization period: 2 years.

1. Immediate Haitianization of the sanitary districts.

2. Immediate appointment of a Haitian co-director of the Haitian General Hospital, who will assume exclusive direction of this establishment from the first of December of next year.

3. Immediate appointment of a Haitian co-director-general of the Service d’Hygiene. Upon the expiration of the two years prescribed for the Haitianization of this Service, the Haitian co-director-general will assume the sole direction thereof.

4. In posts in this Service which cannot be occupied immediately by a Haitian, either due to lack of technical experience or for any other reason recognized by the two high parties, shall be directed jointly by the present head and a Haitian shall be attached to him until this latter will be sufficiently trained in the executive functions, either technical or administrative.

5. During the two years for the Haitianization of this Service, intensive training of Haitian doctors shall be carried on throughout the Service.

III. Service Technique

Maximum period for Haitianization: 2 years.

Division of the Service into two distinct branches:

(a) Primary rural and urban instruction and professional instruction.

(b) Agricultural instruction and experimental stations for the improvement and intensification of agriculture.

Branch (a) of this Service shall be directed by a Haitian.

The direction of branch (b) can be given to a foreign specialist. In that case a Haitian sub-director shall be attached.

(a) primary rural and urban instruction and professional instruction

1. Transformation of the Ecole Centrale into a Normal School for the creation of professors for all primary and professional schools of the Republic. This Normal School shall be divided into two sections:

(1) Classical Section.

(2) Professional Section.

2. The existing Normal School for girls shall be reorganized in such a way as to form the basis of the recruitment of the girl schools of the Republic.

3. Primary instruction shall constitute, together with the professional instruction, a unified system having at its head a special director and inspectors.

4. The setting up of such a structure may require the aid of competent foreigners at the beginning. These foreigners shall be employed by the Haitian Government on a temporary basis prior to the training of Haitians chosen to replace them after the period of Haitianization.

5. The professional schools will only be open to those holding a certificate of primary instruction of the first class or to those who at least can read and write. These schools shall be organized in such a way as to be wholly or largely self-supporting.

(b) agricultural instruction and experimental stations for the improvement and intensification of agriculture

6. The improvement and intensification of agriculture shall be undertaken first of all by the division of the country, into agricultural districts, each one directed by an agricultural agent and his assistants.

7. The creation of agricultural agents shall be accomplished by a special agricultural school, this school to be essentially practical, where only the primary school certificate of second class shall be required for admission.

8. In addition, there shall be created a system of agricultural experimental stations, established on an absolutely commercial basis.

9. The agricultural station shall have as its object, in addition to conducting the necessary experiments for the purpose of adapting the surest methods for the cultivation of our principal products and with the object of introducing into the country new plants of commercial value, to cultivate on a grand scale any product which can be grown in the region where it will be established and permitting it not only to cover expenses but also to make a profit.

10. A sales agency shall be charged with marketing the production of the experimental stations.

11. At the head of the system of experimental stations and the sales agency there shall be established an administrative council, renewable every two years, on a very broad basis, with the object of assuring a strict control of all the commercial operations of the experimental stations and the sales agency.

12. The Government shall advance the first funds necessary for the proper functioning of the experimental stations.

13. A foreign technical advisor may be attached to the Department of Agriculture, whose duties shall consist in giving to the Secretary of Agriculture advice in all matters concerning practical agriculture and agricultural extension.

14. The technical advisor shall be employed by a contract duly made with the Haitian Government. The period of this contract shall not exceed the Haitianization period of the Service. It shall be renewable at the option of the parties thereto.

IV. Service of the Financial Adviser-General Receiver

Maximum Haitianization period: 2 years.

1. Immediate and complete Haitianization of the Contributions Service.

2. Immediate and complete Haitianization of the customs personnel.

3. Progressive Haitianization of the office of the Financial Adviser-General Receiver during the period of two years.

General principle: Wherever it shall be demonstrated that a Haitian cannot be appointed immediately, a Haitian shall be attached to the present office holder and the function shall be transferred to the Haitian as soon as his administrative instruction shall be considered sufficient.

4. The immediate re-establishment of the Haitian control institution, known as Chambre des Comptes.

5. Re-establishment and reorganization of the Bureaux de l’Enregistrement and the Conservation des Hypothèques.

51. Not printed.
52. See report of the President’s Commission for the Study and Review of Conditions in the Republic of Haiti, p. 217.
53. For summaries of reports of the treaty services, see Eighth Annual Report of the American High Commissioner at Port au Prince, Haiti, to the Secretary of State, 1929.