438.00/172: Telegram
The High Commissioner in Haiti (Russell) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 30—9:40 a.m.]
132. Department’s 99, October 26, 5 p.m.93 Yesterday I had a conference with President Borno on the exchange of notes. He stated that he was strongly opposed to right of appeal to Arbitral Commission first because it would diminish the authenticity [authority?] of Claims Commission and second that appeal if made and decision rendered reversing Claims Commission it would subject all decisions of said Commission to suspicion. He desired to appeal through Monsieur Dejean94 to the Department of State informing the Department that he could not consent to right of appeal to Arbitral Commission. After an earnest conference, however, he informed me that he would direct Monsieur Ethéart the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs to address a note to the French Legation here agreeing to and covering the six points enumerated by me with the additional clause that the right of appeal [be] not entertained for French claims originating after September 10th, 1913.
Just prior to my conference with President Borno the French Minister called on me and discussed the situation regarding an exchange of notes. He also informed me that the Haitian Government had asked the French Government if Monsieur Bonamy would be acceptable as Haitian Minister Paris replacing Monsieur Bellegarde, that no reply had been made by his Government and that last Sunday the Minister for Foreign Affairs had met him and repeated the request asking that he telegraph his Government for an immediate repeal [reply]. He then stated that he had just received a reply and that he was on his way to communicate it to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The reply was to the effect that the French Government would answer the request of the Haitian Government concerning Monsieur Bonamy when the Haitian Government had exchanged notes regarding the French claims.