File No. 838.51/407.
The Secretary of State to the National Bank of the Republic of Haiti.
Washington, August 12, 1915.
Sir: The Department acknowledges the receipt of your letter of August 7, 1915, in which, referring to press reports as to the taking over of certain public services in Haiti by the American forces now in that country, and citing various articles of the Bank’s contract with the Government and the terms of several loan agreements with the Republic, in each of which it is especially stipulated that the Bank shall receive on Government deposit all customs receipts and perform certain other Treasury functions, you request, in the name of the Bank, that orders be given by the Department to the effect that such customs duties as are collected in Haiti be deposited with the Bank.
In reply I have the honor to inform you that, according to the reports received from the American Chargé d’Affaires at Port au Prince, Haiti, after consultation with Admiral Caperton, the Commanding Officer of the American forces in Haitian waters, the Bank was instructed to collect customs revenues in Port au Prince, the branch office having already performed that function in Cape Haitien.
The general situation in Haiti, to which you refer in the closing paragraphs of your letter, is receiving the most careful consideration of this Government and in this connection the memorandum submitted with your letter will have due attention.
I am [etc.]