838.51 Cooperation Program/8–2045: Airgram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Haiti (Wilson)

A–225. The Department has noted the Embassy’s despatch 954 of August 20th to the effect that the Embassy had consented to arrange a meeting between Agriculture Minister Dartigue on the one hand and Mr. Bailey and officers of the Embassy on the other, for the purpose of considering the advisability of the Haitian Government’s commencing public works projects under the Five Year Plan during the next fiscal year.

Pending further study of the Plan by this Government, the Embassy is not authorized to discuss with the Haitian Government the program [Page 1101] of public works or other individual projects contained in the Plan (reference penultimate paragraph on page 2 of despatch 954). The Department does not wish to give any grounds for belief by the Haitian Government that consultation or advice with the Embassy foreshadows any United States participation or responsibility in connection with the Plan. It is the Department’s view that this responsibility rests basically with the Haitian Government, and no agency of this Government has recommended what steps, if any, should be taken by this Government with regard to the Plan.

The Embassy is requested to make clear to all persons concerned that such technical advice on the Plan as Mr. Bailey (pursuant to Mr. Rockefeller’s statement to Ambassador Liautaud on August 6th) may personally give the Haitian Government at its request represents in no way the official views of this Government with respect to the Plan.

Note has also been made of the Haitian Government’s impression, as evidenced by Minister Lacroix’s memorandum of August 14th26 and his statement to Ambassador Wilson of the same date, that it had not yet received a reply to President Lescot’s earlier memorandum of June 22nd26 proposing a 25-year term of amortization for Haiti’s foreign debt. The Embassy is requested to convey to the appropriate Haitian officials the Department’s view that present amortization schedules for repayment of the debt should stand, i.e., that the 25-year extension proposal is viewed unfavorably by the Department. This was indicated to Ambassador Liautaud at the meeting held at the Department on August 6th (see Department’s telegram 259 of August 6th26 and memorandum of conversation of that date27 transmitted by instruction 447 of August 2928).

An instruction embodying a further reply to the Embassy’s telegram 268 of August 17th26 and despatch 954, as well as to Minister Lacroix’s memorandum of August 14th, is in preparation and will be transmitted to the Embassy shortly.

Byrnes
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed.
  3. Not printed.
  4. Ante, p. 1095.
  5. Instruction 447 not printed.
  6. Not printed.