Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-18
HAYTI is
IN STATE OF
REVOLUTION
TWENTY-SEvEN PERSONS ARE
SENT TO DEATH
FOREIGN NATIONS DISPATCH
WARsHIPs TO ISLAND
Situation at Port au Prince Described
as Serious - Department at
Washington Hears Alarm
Ing News
~ Associated Press.

b. Associated Press.
PARIS, March 17-Official dis
patches received here from Hay;i in
dicate that the situation there Is still
critical for foreigners M. Carteron,
the French minister reports that new
executions occurred last night. hut he
does not give the number. He says
that previous to last night twenty
seven had been executed. He describes
M Lecomte. the new minister of the
interior, as 'bloodthirsty.'
Further reprisals are feared and there
Is still danger of attack on the foreign
legations The French cruiser DEstres
lis expected at Port au Prince momen-
tarly and 1t Is reported there that an
American warship had already arrived
at Gonaives
WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE
Haytian situation is described by the
state department officially today as
decidedly more grave than at ANY time
siLce the revolution has been In pro-
gress there. Dispatches received early
in the day are to the effect that the
Haytian government has reversed its
decision to allow the refugees in the
foreign legations to leave the country.
They will not be allowed to do so.
As a further protection to Am 1rican
interests in the island the cruiser Des
Moines was ordered to proceed at once
to Port au Prince from Guantanamo.
there yesterday. 1t Is estimated the
Les Moines can make the trip in ap-
proximateiy fifteen hours. The only
Instructions given are that American
interests shall be protected.
Considered Serious
LONDON, March ia brief dis
patchwas received at the foreign office
today from the English consul general
AT Port au Prince saying that the out
break In Hayti was anti-foreign in
character.
This is all the information that has
reached the British government OFF,
cially since the first brief message an
nouncing the summary executions and
saying that massacre of Europeans
was feared.
on the receipt of this alarming tele-
gram the foreign office got into COM
munication with the admiralty, and as
result the cruisers interchangeable and
Greasy were ordered to proceed at once
to the disturbed islands.
The first news of the arrival at Port
au Prince of the Indefatigable reached
the admiralty through newspaper
dispatch. This cruiser, it has been
learned. left Jamaica on last Saturday
at midnight, so it is evident that she
WAS Dy 1OilSut A1tneTdi Nlui
ray, as at that time the British govern
ment had no news of the outbreak. 1t
is hoped that the Greasy, which Is on
her way from Bermuda to Jamaica, has
been intercepted by wireless and that
she will reach Port au Prince very
shortly.
The government has sent no instruc-
lions to Mr.. Murray to cooperate with
the representatives of the other pow
ers. but it takes it for granted that he
will do so.
In Difficulty with France
The Haytian side Of the difficulty with
France arising from the claim for pro-
lection made by the Haytian revolu-
tionists who have taken refuge at the
French legation and consulate, was
given by this official as follows:
"It is true that assurances were given
that General Firmin and the other
refugees would be allowed to depart,
but while the negotiations were pro-
ceedings on the basis that the refugees
weer to be extradited and undertaken
to return to Hayti. it was discovered
that the refugees at Gonaives and Port
au Prince were in communication and
that they were Matching a conspiracy
against the government.
"Those caught redhanded in this plot
were shot. This was the only course
open to the government. In view of
the bad faith shown by the refugees 1t
is not possible for the government to
permit them to go unscathed. This is
especially so as to Gen. Firmin, the
leader of the revolutionary movement,
who has twice previously been released
under similar circumstances and after
he had given assurances that he would
not return to Hayti. Nevertheless, he
did come back to Hayti and embarked
in revolutionary activity The island
needs peace and rest, and this is all
that the government is trying to OBJ
tain"