Mr. Theodore Baker, the resident agent of Swift & Company, keeps in touch with the Syrian question and frequently calls at this Legation for information and advice. As I have found him to be a careful and discreet man, I am sure that whatever information he gives his firm can be relied upon by it. I have [etc.] File No. 838.111/119. H. W. FURNISS. The Department of State to the Haitian Legation. AIDE MÉMOIRE. Referring to the matter of the right of persons of Syrian origin to do business in Haiti, which has hitherto been the subject of correspondence between the Governments of the United States and Haiti both through the Haitian Legation at this capital and the American Legation at Port-au-Prince, it will be remembered that during the course of the previous discussion it was agreed by the Government of Haiti that American citizens of Syrian origin who had been naturalized or had taken steps to become naturalized prior to the Haitian Law of 1903, should be exempted from the operation of the law and given licenses to trade. It was hoped that this action by the Haitian Government would obviate to some degree the difficulties which had arisen by reason of Haiti's recent enforcement of the measures directed against persons of Syrian origin. It appears, however, that the condition of these persons since that action was taken has not been satisfactory and that the American Legation at Port-au-Prince has been forced on numerous occasions to appeal to the Government of Haiti to protect American citizens of Syrian origin from annoyances and embarrassments, which would appear to have been unnecessary and unwarranted, caused by aggressions on the part of the subordinate Haitian authorities. It would seem that having permitted these American citizens to do business under sanction of Haitian law, the Government of Haiti may rightfully be expected to afford them all due protection and respect. The Department consequently trusts that when the purport of this communication, which has been induced by repetition of the aggressions mentioned above against American citizens, is brought to the attention of the Haitian Government it will take all necessary measures to insure to the American citizens in question the protection and freedom from molestation which their Government now requests for them. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 5, 1913. File No. 838.111/119. No. 380.] The Secretary of State to the American Minister. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: The Department has received your No. 1199 of March 25 last, in which you state that you continue to have much difficulty in protecting American citizens of Syrian origin, and report your action in a number of cases that have been brought to your attention. The Department approves your efforts in this line and transmits for your information a copy of an aide mémoire relating to the subject which has been handed to the Haitian Minister at this capital. I am [etc.] For the Secretary of State: File No. 838.111/125. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. No. 1237.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, May 29, 1913. SIR: In further reference to my No. 1208 of April 10th last, wherein I spoke of the attitude of the Auguste administration towards those of Syrian origin, I have the honor to inform the Department that I recently had a talk with President Oreste on the same question. [The] President said that as senator and private citizen he was opposed to the attitude of the Leconte and Auguste administrations relative to the Syrian question; that he believed that all those of Syrian origin, whatever their nationality or position in life, who were in Haiti prior to the promulgation of the Syrian Exclusion Law should have been allowed to remain unmolested in Haiti. He said that he realized then as now that from an economic standpoint it was a bad move to have expelled them, as the Syrian stores were beneficial to the masses in that their prices and terms were more reasonable than the Haitian stores. He reminded me that he had been attorney for some Haitians and others of Syrian origin and had gained licenses for them through the courts, though afterwards these persons were so persecuted that they had voluntarily left Haiti. President Oreste assured me that under his administration such persons of Syrian origin as are in Haiti can count upon having full protection of their rights and that the Syrian campaign is at an end. He said, however, that he could not permit to return those who were expelled from Haiti by his predecessors as that might bring on disorders. Yesterday when in conference with Secretary of Foreign Relations Mathon on another matter, he spoke of having received from Minister Ménos the Department's aide mémoire relative to the Syrian question. Mr. Mathon assured me that there would be no ground for complaint from the present administration. He stated that even the Haitian of Syrian origin would be unmolested; in other words, that the antiSyrian campaign is at an end. I thanked him for the information and told him I would communicate it to my Government. I stated that my Government was determined to protect its citizens and would be pleased to know that its citizens could dwell in Haiti without being persecuted or subjected to annoyances by minor officials. I have [etc.] H. W. FURNISS. File No. 838.111/125 A. The Acting Secretary of State to the American Minister. Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, July 23, 1913. Inquiries have come to the Department from persons of Syrian origin who desire to go to Haiti, whether they will be permitted to enter that country. You will ascertain the present attitude of the Government of Haiti concerning the admission of persons of Syrian origin who have never been in Haiti or who have been there from time to time but who were not objects of the enforcement of the law of 1903, and report to the Department. MOORE. File No. 838.111/120. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, July 25, 1913. The President of Haiti says that, in accord with the Act of 1903, no persons of Syrian origin can come to Haiti and remain permanently. The President has, however, agreed to permit naturalized American citizens of Syrian origin who represent American commercial interests to enter Haiti on the business of their firms if they remain only a few months and if their citizenship and their connection with American commercial concerns are certified by the Department of State or the American Legation. File No. 838.111/127. FURNISS. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. No. 1263.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, July 25, 1913. SIR: I have the honor to report that agreeable to the Department's cablegram of July 23, I called upon the President of Haiti to ascertain the attitude of his administration relative to the entry into Haiti of persons of Syrian origin. I reported a summary of the interview in my [telegram of] July 25. The President stated that it would be impossible, at least for the present, to permit persons of Syrian origin, whatever their nationality, to come to Haiti, in that the Exclusion Act of 1903 especially prohibited it. At first he had been inclined to have the law modified, but he now finds that quite a campaign against the present adminis tration is being waged by the Syrians in Kingston, Jamaica, and they are contributing funds for the Haitians who are there and who seek to overthrow his administration. According to a report of the Haitian Consul at Kingston, two prominent citizens of the United States of Syrian origin went to Kingston and had long conferences with the Haitians; in fact it is reported that the carriage of ex-President Simon was in waiting for them at the steamship wharf upon their arrival and they spent a day with Mr. Simon, at whose house congregate many of the exiles. I tried to ascertain the names of these Americans and the President has promised to give me the information. I called the President's attention to the fact that the Haitian Consul at Kingston is rather erratic and should not be depended upon; that when Haitian Consul at Monte Cristi he was the chief adviser of the Dominican revolutionist Desiderio Arias and was more a revolutionist than he. I do not believe that persons of Syrian origin are aiding and abetting the exiles against the present administration and I await with interest the report of our consul there, which the Department in its No. 372 of March 11, 1913, stated it had instructed him to make.' I told the President that in carrying out the Exclusion Act of 1903 it should not be made to operate against persons of Syrian origin who may desire to come to Haiti, temporarily, in connection with commercial affairs; that I know several Americans of Syrian origin who are commercial travelers and he should construe the law liberally enough to allow such to come to Haiti. I told him that we allowed merchants of Chinese origin to enter the United States on business. He then said that, to be agreeable to this Legation, he would allow American citizens of Syrian origin who represent American commercial houses to come to Haiti provided they remained at most a few months, and further provided that the Department of State or this Legation would vouch for their citizenship and their connection with American commercial houses doing business in Haiti. I have [etc.] File No. 838.111/126. No. 387.] H. W. FURNISS. The Secretary of State to the American Minister. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, July 31, 1913. SIR: The Department has received your telegram of the 25th ultimo in which you state that you have been advised by the President of Haiti that in view of the exclusion act of 1903 it will not be possible to permit persons of Syrian origin to come to Haiti and remain permanently, but that Americans of Syrian origin representing American commercial interests may enter Haiti on the business of their firms for a few months on the condition that the Department of State of [or] your Legation should certify as to their citizenship and as to their connection with American commercial houses. The Department is gratified at the position taken by the President of Haiti in this matter and believes that an arrangement might well be made in accordance with his suggestions. Regarding the certification of citizenship by the Department or the Legation, it would seem, however, that it would be possible and proper to do this only in the usual way, that is, in the case of an American coming from this country to Haiti, by the exhibit of a passport, or, in the case of 1 Not printed; see the Department's No. 25 of March 8, ante, to the Vice Consul at Kingston. Americans who have been in Haiti, by reference to the records of registration in the consulates. Outside of these two means, any certification would seem impracticable. Respecting the certification as to the connection of American citizens of Syrian origin with American commercial houses, it would seem possible, of course, for the Department or the Legation to communicate to the Haitian Government such information as might be furnished in this regard. Under the circumstances, however, neither the Legation nor the Department could undertake to give any certain guaranty as to such connection. You will appropriately communicate the foregoing to the Haitian Government and report to the Department the result of your representations. For the Secretary of State: I am [etc.] J. B. MOORE, File No. 838.111/129. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. No. 1266.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, August 12, 1913. SIR: Referring to the Department's No. 387 of July 31, 1913, regarding the entrance into Haiti of persons of Syrian origin, I have the honor to advise the Department that I took up the matter with the President of Haiti and permitted him to read the instructions of the Department on the subject. The President, after reading the Department's instructions, stated that he was in full accord therewith. I have deemed it advisable, however, to have the President confirm our conversation in writing and I shall endeavor to secure this confirmation within the next few days. I have [etc.] File No. 838.111/132. H. W. FURNISS. The American Consul at Kingston, Jamaica, to the Secretary of State. No. 156.] AMERICAN CONSULATE, Kingston, September 12, 1913. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department's instruction No. 159 of August 27, 1913, enclosing, for my information, a copy of dispatch No. 1263 of July 25, 1913, from the American Minister at Port au Prince relative to the belief of the Government of Haiti that Syrians in Jamaica are seeking to overthrow the Government and directing me to forward a report regarding the attitude of Syrians in Jamaica towards the Haitian Government. From what I have been able to learn I am convinced that the Syrians in Jamaica are in no way endeavoring to overthrow the present Government in Haiti or furnishing funds for the purpose. I have called upon the managers of the three banks in Kingston and Not printed. |