Office of the Historian

611.3831/255

The Chargé in Haiti (Sparks) to the Secretary of State

No. 1018
Port-au-Prince, September 23, 1940.
[Received September 26.]

Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith a copy, with English translation, of the note from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, dated September 21, 1940, in which he expresses the desire of the Haitian Government to conclude a new trade agreement with the United States on the grounds that the present agreement64 and the actual [Page 925] economic needs of the country reveal that it would be particularly desirable to modify the existing agreement as soon as possible. The Foreign Minister refers to Article 14 of the trade agreement from which it may be interpreted that his present note is in the nature of a notice to the American Government.

Respectfully yours,

Edward J. Sparks
[Enclosure—Translation]

The Haitian Minister for Foreign Affairs (Laleau) to the American Chargé (Sparks)

Port-au-Prince, September 21, 1940.

Mr. Chargé d’Affaires: I bring to your attention, for all useful purposes, that the Government desires to conclude a new trade agreement with the United States.

The application of the one signed in Washington on March 28, 1935, and proclaimed by the Haitian Government on April 26 of the same year, as well as present economic needs have revealed that it would be particularly desirable that modifications be made thereto as soon as possible.

The Haitian Government proposes, consequently, to send instructions to its Legation in Washington, so that at an opportune moment, conversations may be instituted with a view to concluding a new accord envisaged in conformity with a Memorandum sent by the Department of State to the Haitian Legation in Washington65 and transmitted to His Excellency the President of the Republic.

In asking you to note that this communication is inspired by Article XIV of the Agreement of March 28, 1935, I take [etc.]

Leon Laleau
  1. Signed at Washington, March 28, 1935. For correspondence concerning negotiations, see Foreign Relations, 1935, Vol. iv, pp. 642 ff.; for text, see Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 78, or 49 Stat. (pt. 2) 3737.↩
  2. Ante, p. 891.↩