am told, confidentially, that but very few of the Syrians here have bank accounts at all and those are very small. The great majority of the Syrians in Jamaica have been here for a number of years and are well known to the banking houses, which have expressed their belief that they are in no way actively inimical to the Haitian Government, being but small traders carrying their stock of goods on their backs. The manager of the Colonial Bank, the oldest bank in Kingston, ridicules the idea that the Syrians of Jamaica are in any way connected with a movement to support a revolution in Haiti as he was convinced that if they transmitted funds to Haiti it would be through his bank and that no drafts of any considerable amount had been sent through his house to Haiti by Syrians. I am endeavoring to ascertain the number of persons of Syrian origin in Jamaica and the occupations they pursue but it is extremely difficult to secure reliable information either from Government or private sources. As soon as I can collect the data I shall at once transmit it to the Department. I believe the hostility of the Haitian and the Dominican Governments, which exclude persons of Syrian origin from entering their respective countries, is due to their activity in trading and driving the duller native from business. Even in such an enlightened country as Jamaica the retail merchants have complained to the Government of the ceaseless activity of Syrians and Chinese in supplanting the natives in certain lines of business and the question will undoubtedly be brought before the Legislative Council of the Island when it again meets. I have [etc.] LEO BERGHOLZ. File No. 838.111/138. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. No. 1280.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, September 16, 1913. SIR: I have the honor to enclose herewith copies of the correspondence' exchanged between this Legation and the Haitian Government relative to granting a license to Daniel John, an American of Syrian origin in business at St. Marc. Mr. John does not come within my agreement with the Haitian Government as to the issuance of licenses to American citizens, in that he was naturalized and came to Haiti subsequent to the exclusion act of 1903. In April last I arranged for a reasonable delay for Daniel John to liquidate his business but it appears to me he thought that upon Mr. Michel Oreste becoming president he would not be forced to liquidate, and when informed that he would be expected to do so he appealed to me for further delay. I have arranged with the Haitian Government for an additional month, which was the best that could be done under the circumstance. H. W. FURNISS. I have [etc.] Not printed. File No. 838.111/132. The Secretary of State to the American Minister. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 25, 1913. SIR: Referring to previous correspondence on the subject of the alleged activity of Syrians in opposition to the Government of Haiti. and more particularly to Mr. Furniss's No. 1263, of July 25, 1913, the Department encloses herewith, for your information, a copy of despatch of September 12, 1913, from the American Consul at Kingston, Jamaica, in this connection. I am [etc.] File No. 838.111/136. No. 2.] For the Secretary of State: The Secretary of State to the American Minister. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 29, 1913. SIR: I enclose a letter' from Mr. Samuel J. Siegel, dated September 19th, 1913, regarding the orders issued to Daniel John, said to be a naturalized citizen of the United States, instructing him to wind up his affairs and leave Haiti. If, upon investigation of Mr. John's case, you are convinced that the enforcement of the order directing him to leave Haiti would entail unnecessary hardship you will request the Haitian Foreign Office on Mr. John's behalf for such additional reasonable time to wind up his affairs as the circumstances may seem to warrant. I am [etc.] For the Secretary of State: File No. 838.111/144. The Acting Secretary of State to the American Minister. No. 5.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE. Washington, October 25, 1913. SIR: Referring to the Department's instruction of the 29th ultimo regarding the case of Daniel John, I enclose a copy of a letter' from Mr. Samuel J. Siegel, of New York City, who is of the opinion that the Haitian Government should be urged to extend the time allowed Mr. John to wind up his business affairs, for a period of at least one year. You are referred, for your guidance, to the Department's general instruction of January 20, 1912. to your predecessor, regarding the enforcement of the Haitian anti-Syrian law of 1903, and you will, besides reporting fully on the John case, further report on the enforcement of the law of 1903 with respect to Syrians of other nationalities who, like Mr. John, went to Haiti and established themselves in business there subsequently to the passage of that law. I am [etc.] 1 Not printed. J. B. MOORE. For. Rel. 1912, p. 529. File No. 838.111/149. No. 13.] The American Minister to the Secretary of State. [Extract.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, November 10, 1913. SIR: Referring to the Department's despatch No. 5 of October 25, 1913, regarding the case of Daniel John I have the honor to report as follows: Daniel John was naturalized an American citizen July 17, 1906. He arrived in Haiti July 24, 1906, and commenced business during the same year. Upon reading over the correspondence of this Legation, I find that an agreement was entered into between this Legation and the Haitian Government whereby all American citizens of Syrian origin who were naturalized and in business in Haiti before the promulgation, in 1904, of the Syrian Exclusion Act of 1903, would be exempt from the provisions of the Act. Subsequently the Haitian Government discovered that Mr. John did not come within the provisions of the agreement and so informed. this Legation, which in turn advised Mr. John. Mr. John then requested the Legation to procure for him a reasonable delay within which he could liquidate his business, and he finally said that he would be willing to retire from Haiti by October 31st if he were granted a license to that time. At the request of this Legation the Haitian Government agreed to this, provided Mr. John would put in writing that he would retire within the time stated. Mr. John furnished the necessary agreement copy of which is herewith enclosed.' The Legation forwarded this agreement to the Haitian Government and the license was issued for the fiscal year ending October 31, 1913. Further reference to this will be found in my predecessor's despatch to the Department No. 1280 of September 16, 1913. It will be noted also in this despatch that, on account of certain difficulties experienced by Mr. John since receiving his license, and his agreeing to liquidate by October 31, 1913, at the request of this Legation a further delay was granted for the liquidation, said delay to expire November 30, 1913. 2 Subsequently it appeared that the authorities at St. Marc had not been advised as to this last delay and Mr. John's attention was called to the fact, by the Communal Commission at St. Marc, that it was expected that he would close his establishment and leave the country by September 30, 1913. Mr. John made representation as to the matter to this Legation, and the attention of the Haitian Government was called to it under date of October 6, 1913. The Haitian Government replied under date of October 8, 1913, that the necessary instructions would be forwarded to the Communal Commission at St. Marc which would enable Mr. John to take advantage of the new delay which had been granted him. Mr. John was advised of this under date of October 9, 1913. Copies of this correspondence are herewith enclosed.1 Referring to the latter part of the Department's instructions No. 5, regarding the enforcement of the law of 1903 with respect to Syrians of other nationalities, I have the honor to state that the law in question has been en forced without respect to person. As far as I can find out, at present there are no Syrians of any nationality in business in Haiti, with the exception of Mr. John, who arrived in Haiti subsequent to the promulgation of this law. The agreement with this Legation as to Americans of Syrian origin has been more respected than has been the case with the other nationalities. Dominicans of Syrian origin have been forced to leave Haiti notwithstanding their rights under the agreement. I have [etc.] * * * MADISON R. SMITH. File No. 838.111/148. The Secretary of State to the American Minister. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 19, 1913. Representations have been made to the Department that it is impossible for Daniel John to close up his affairs and leave Haiti before November 30 without being ruined. Use your personal good offices to secure an extension of time for John. If circumstances justify formal representations, either because John has not been granted sufficient time to wind up his affairs or that this is a case of discrimination, impress upon the Foreign Office that expulsion might lead to international claim. BRYAN. File No. 838.111/150. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, November 24, 1913. The claim argument was used by Mr. Furniss to secure a delay for John of more than seven months and an additional month to November 30. Further instructions desired. SMITH. File No. 838.111/150. The Acting Secretary of State to the American Minister. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 26, 1913. Use your best efforts to secure another extension for Daniel John. Moore. File No. 838.111/154. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, December 5, 1913. The Minister for Foreign Affairs says that no further extension can be granted to Daniel John, as he has had two extensions of delay, and he will have to act in accordance with his agreement to liquidate his business in the time allowed. SMITH. |