The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-09-25
First White Envoy to Haiti


18th, "entered the Imperial and reg
istcred yesterday morning, the room
clerk took IA look at him, and gave
sigh of relief. The same feeling
soon communicated itself to the
managers office. MIR. Smith is IA
white man. He is the first to be APP
pointed to the Haitian mission in
many years.
Since the new law went into effect
. in New York State which makes it
"A heavy otlensc for hotel manager
to refuse accommodation to a person
on account of his color, more than
| one hotel man who caters to fash
/ iOuable or ultra-scusitivc white pub
lie In New York has been pOndering
what hc would do IL a cOlored man
applied for = room. He has felt
that he could not aiTorditO risk tho
| departure % lot Of paying guests
who objected to eating III the same
room with negro, ana on the other
hand he could not afford to break
!hc law. More than once in hotels
mere Latin Americans, whose skins
had become very much tanned, have
been eyed with suspicion by travel
crs fresh from the South, and ques-
tiOus have been asked. 4 fear has
been expressed that somebody would
make II test case just for the sake Of
causing trouble.
Therefore it happened that when Il
letter was received from Minister
Smith, telling of his intention to
come to New York, and inclosing
his card showing his new title,
somebody remembered that Haiti
was sometimes called the "Black Re
public, and somebody else thought
h" remembered that usually col
orcd man was appointed envoy to
that country In his letter, Minis
ter Smith had made no effort to set
tie the question. On the contrary,
me reserved rooms couditiounlly,a and
it gathered that he felt some doubt
whether he could be taken care of.
So, as the hotel was well filled, a
telegram was sent to Mr.. Smith to
the effect that, while the hotel was
full at the time, he would be taken
care Of, and then, In quiet way,
Efforts were made to determine
whether the new envoy was of An
glo-SaXOn or other origin, An APP
peal was made to an agency in
Washington that was supposed to
be up on such things. Back came
the report that nothing was known
OF Mr.. Smith, but that all the Min
listers 10 Haiti for many years had
not been CAucasians. This left the
situation the same AS before.
When Minister Smith arrived yes
terday morning he wondered at the
degree Of cordially with which he
was received. Then 1t turned out
that he had been member of Con
gress from the Thirteenth MissoHri
District, He is "A lawyer, and was
formerly "A newspaper man. He
will leave to-day for Port au Prince
on the Prinz Sigismuud. He sue
ceeds Henry W. Furness.
"In Missouri things are looking
pretty favorable just now" said Mr.
smith, in answert to aquestion. "W.
l.. Henslcy, who represents my old
district in Congress, will be nom
mated and reelected. Business is
good in that district 1t is the big
gest lead mining region in the
world. The Guggenheims are large
ly Interested there now, and many
reduction plants are kept busy. Fiat
River, which is the largest town
thorcabout, has grown to city Of
1900 inhabitants and several men
have become milliOnaires. We raise
good crops there, too, and the wheat
and corn are fine this year"