838.51/3931
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Haiti (Mayer)
Sir: The Department has received your telegram No. 52 dated April 20 [30], 1940, 2 p.m. with reference to the request of the Haitian Government for an extraordinary credit of $2,000 for the traveling expenses of the President of Haiti. Your action in advising the Acting Fiscal Representative that you perceive no objection to the granting of the request is approved.
It may be useful at this time, however, to clarify the Department’s understanding with respect to the procedure which should be used in connection with requests for credits of this kind.
When the Fiscal Representative is approached by the Haitian Government with a request for an extraordinary or supplementary credit, the Department believes that he should refrain from approving or disapproving the request until the Legation has been consulted and his recommendations vouchsafed to you. Should the Legation’s views coincide with those of the Fiscal Representative, the latter may then inform the Haitian Government accordingly. In no case should the Fiscal Representative let it appear to the Haitian Government, however, that the Legation’s approval or disapproval of the credit has been sought nor should he give any indication to the Haitian Government what the views of the Legation have been.
[Page 880]In case the recommendations of the Fiscal Representative are at variance with the view of the Legation, the Department’s views may he sought. Similarly, however, no indication should be given the Haitian Government of any divergence of views, nor should any intimation be given that the Department’s decision has been sought.
In each case, therefore, the Fiscal Representative’s approval or disapproval of any given credit should appear to the Haitian Government as coming from him alone.
The Department understands that this is the system which has long been in successful operation and believes that it should be continued.
Please invite the attention of the Fiscal Representative to the appropriate parts of this instruction.
Very truly yours,