838.124/181: Telegram
The Minister in Haiti (Munro) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 24:—2:35 a.m.]
68. I have worked out with Dr. Stuart a plan to be proposed to the Haitian Government as part of the general Haitianization agreement [Page 486] under which we would turn over all public health work except sanitation in Port au Prince and Cape Haitien. We would retain three Navy doctors and six other Americans as a separate sanitary organization doing the work now performed by the public health offices in the two cities and operating the public health garages.
We can give up the control of the hospitals and the public health laboratories, which cannot well be separated from the hospitals, provided that the Navy Department will authorize the brigade hospitals to take care of American civilians connected with the Treaty Services, and provided that the laboratory facilities at the Port au Prince field hospitals can be slightly enlarged to perform work for the American Sanitary Service. And brigade surgeon tells me that he sees no difficulty about this but I think it would be well for the Department to ascertain informally the views of the Navy Department.
I think that the agreement should contain provisions allowing us to assume control of all sanitary work in case of epidemic or other grave emergency and to supervise and if necessary control the chlorination of water. The Haitian Government should obligate itself to give all necessary support through its courts and other authorities and to provide annually in its budget $180,000 for the use of the Sanitary Service. There are minor details which have to be worked out by agreement.
Will the Department please inform me as soon as possible whether it perceives any objection to this proposal and whether the Navy Department is willing to cooperate as above outlined.