838.00/1787
The Secretary of State to the Haitian Minister ( Blanchet )
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to the Minister of Haiti and has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of his communication of July 2, 1921, with which he transmitted, by instruction [Page 201] of the Haitian Government, a note addressed by that Government to the Government of the United States under date of June 10, 1921.
The Secretary of State requests that the Minister of Haiti be so good as to transmit to his Government the following reply to the note of the Haitian Government transmitted with the note of the Minister of Haiti under acknowledgment:
“The Government of the United States has given most careful consideration to the note of the Haitian Government dated June 10, 1921, in which the Haitian Government states [here follows a summary in extenso of the note referred to].
“In reply to this communication, the Government of the United States desires first of all to assure the Government of Haiti once more, that it is its most earnest desire to cooperate in every proper way with the Haitian Government in the promotion of the prosperity and tranquillity of Haiti. It is the firm conviction of the Government of the United States that the ends which both Governments desire so sincerely to attain, can only be gained by encouraging and supporting in every way possible the processes of stable and constitutional government in the Republic. The foundation upon which such government must rest is the holding of fair and free elections in which the electorate of Haiti, as prescribed by the Constitution, can participate without coercion of any kind. It would seem, therefore, to the Government of the United States that it would be derelict in its Treaty obligations and in its sincere friendship for the Haitian people if the American Occupation of the Republic of Haiti countenanced the holding of any elections in the Republic in which the properly qualified voters of the Republic were not permitted to cast their votes without being subject to intimidation or the exertion of improper influences and the result of which was not the freely expressed opinion of the majority of such voters.
“In the event, therefore, that the President of Haiti deems it necessary to fix the next elections for the National Legislature for the tenth of January, 1922, the Government of the United States, in accordance with its obligations under the Convention of September 16, 1915, will cooperate with the Government of Haiti in maintaining the peace of the Republic should disorder threaten, but it cannot consent, for the reasons above set forth, to the holding of elections in the Republic the result of which would be determined in any manner other than by the will of the Haitian people freely expressed.”