Evening star., 1920-12-02
.HA|T|ANS PROTEST
NAVY BOARD EXIT
Cable Secretary Daniels to
Insist Probers Hear
Further Witnesses.

! Citizens of Haiti' have protested To
parture from their country of the
naval board of inquiry until addi-
tional witnesses have been heard In
the investigation into the conduct of
the marine forces occupying .he
island republic.
/ In announcing receipt OF the tele-
gram today. Mr. Daniels said ne had
no official advices that the board.
! which is headed by Rear Admiral
/ Mayo, wartime commander OF the
| Atlantic feet. had left Haiti. He
! added. however. that The Many De-
partment had been informed that the
converted yacht Niagara, on which
! the board went to Port au Prince, had
4. gone to Guantanamo en- route to the
United States. and that he presumed
: the Mayo board was on the vessel
Upon receipt of the telegram. the
naval Secretary immediately instruct
ed Rear Admiral Knapp. who repre-
sents both the State and Navy de-
partments in Haiti. 10 conduct an in
formal hearing, at which witnesses
who did rot appea' before the Mayo
board might testify Should this tes
timony warrant such action, the Sec
retary said. he would order the Mayo
board back To Haiti or convene a ntt.
board.
MI UanlSlS eNpidiith tidi iHf Way ~
board was not empowered to inquire
into matters relating TO diplomatic
and financial affairs in the island re
public and had refused To hear many
witnesses who desired 10 TESTIFY re
garding these matters Whethe'
these were the witnesses the 'citizens
of Haiti' wished to have heard was
not made clear
Haitian Convict Released.
pORT-AC-PRINCE Haiti. Decembe-
. (bv the Associa Ted Pressb.-Cadus
Bellgarde, haitian convicted by :
military commission in February last
of murder and canuibal.sm in connec-
tion with the sacrifice OF girls HE
at a .yoodoo" performance. Was re
eased today on orders from the United
States Navy department
Rellgarde was convicted on the
testimony of natives at trial which
was conducted with the full approval
of President Sudre d 'ArtiguenaEe OF
Haiti No explanation was given og
the Navy Department OF the reason
for Bellgarde's release.
total of 1.142 Haitians met death
since the beginning of the intensive
campaign against the bandits OF the
island, approximately Two years ago
il was developed by the naval rour'
during its three weeks of bearings
Just concluded here. into the actions
of American marines in Haiti TINS
total includes the ten natives alleged
to have been killed by eX-Corp. Free
man Lang and Serst Dorcas VIII
liams. ,
Outside the ten deaths charged
against Lang and Williams. all the
dead accounted for during the hear
ing fell in the 29S actual battles that
occurred. including the attack on
Port-au-Prince in January, according
to the testimony. Although the couri
OF ,ro,iry naturally declined TO dls-
cuss this phase, the military author
ties insist that the charges OF 1ndls-
criminate killing" brought by Ma
Gen. George Barnett. former com
mandant of the United States Marine
Corps, were not justified.
Col. Hookers recital of atrocities.
with proof in each case, revealed
shocking conditions. showing that the
bandits had not observed the prin-
ciples of warfare.
The sum total Of the testimony OBJ
tanned here brought out CHARGES only
against Lang and Williams The local
newspapers are continuing ~ print
what purport to be charges, S:h.ch are
declared by Mai. Jesse +. Dyer. how
ever, to be based wholly on rumors
or hearsay and hence not of a kind
that can be presented to the court.
These publications have wildly agitat-
ed the natives who claim the court
has refused a sweeping investigation.
There is no doubt that the feeling
in Port-au Prince is tense. largely he
cause of the published charges.