Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-05-14
MARINES ACCUSED Of
HAITIAN CRIMES

Delegates Charge Them with Murder
Brutalities and Other Atrocities.
Washington, May 8.-Charging Il
long series of atrocities by American
marines and the native gendarmerie
In Hayti and demanding the with.
drawal OF tho United States military
forces from that republic three Hay
tian delegates are in Washington to
present a memorial to President Har.
ding, the State Department and Con.
gress.
The memorial reviews the five
years of military occupation Of Hayti
and declares that 1t Is "the most ter
rible regime OF military autocrocy
which has ever been carried on in the
name OF the great American Dcmocru.
cy."
The naval investigation Of condi-
tons In the Republic ordered by Sec
rotary Daniels last year and conduct
ed by board under Rear Admiral
Mayo Is characterized rs Joke"
and Rear Admiral Knapp Is accused
OF having done nothing Mt all when
he visited Haiti under orders from
Secretary Daniels to make IA personal
inquiry.
The Haitian people feel" says the
memorial. that If the navnl cour. of
inquiry has not fulrilloi IN Haiti the
broad mandate confer ell upon IL by
Mr., Joscphus Daniels, It Is because
1t was faced with charges Of such hor
rible nature that 1t thought best to
pass them over in silence.''
Il Among the acts charged against the
( american occupationHof Haititare -
!. administration of the 'anrec, cure
and other tortures by An:crirnn on.
GERS ana marines and the commission
OF numberless abominable crimes OF
which twenty-five cases, with names
and dates arc given in the memorial.
REMOVAL Of 100000 Of Haitian Gov
crnment funds which American nh.
rines carried off "and took on board
the gunboat Machias," and which were
deposited IN Il New York bank ITO
force the Haitian Government to ac-
cept control of the customs house by
systematically depriving it of finan.
cial resources"
Entrance by Brigadier General Smed
ley d. Butler on June 10, 1917, reroly
or In hand, followed by American off,
GERS with their revolvers into the Ha.
tian Legislative chamber and d.sso!u
t1on by force Of the Haitian Legisla.
tive Assembly.
Enforced ratification on June ~,
1918 OF now Haitian constitution with
marines presiding ut the ballot boxes
only ballots bearing the word Yes"
being issued.
Exclusion from the naval court of
inquiry Of "all Hatians who had any
thing to say regarding the numerous
cases of murder. brutality. arson, etc..
that is, Of Hatians who wished to con
vince tho court Of inquiry Of the way
In which tho forces or occupation had
carried out their duty in Haiti.
Furthermore, 1t Is charged that
more than 1000 prisoners died in
1918. 1919, and 1920 in the prisons at
Cap Haitien and that "at Cliabert, an
American camp, 5,475 prisoners die,i
during these three years"
Tho CHASTITY mortality in tho pris.
ons, continues the memr.i;ii "togeth
er with confirmation by survivors, &c
Veals record OF atrocities, of bruta,
ity and cruelty which defies descrip-
ton. 1t is a record. for which it would
be difficult to find parallel"
ALLEGED GRIMES pGvIEWED
The memorial conclude by stating
that during the five years of Ameri-
can occupation. Hayti "has passed.
through such sacrifices, fortunes. de-
structions, humiliations and misery
as have never before been known in
the course OF its unhappy history"
For these wrongs and injuries, :"
the IIaytian people ask reparation,
says the memorial. and they also re-
quest:
Immediate abolition OF martial law
and courtS-martial.
Immediate REORGANIZATION of the
Haytian police and military force
ana withdrawal within a short period
OF the American military forces.
Abroga!ion Of the convention of
1915 under which American military
occupation began.
ConvOcation within a. short neriod
or constituent assembly with all
guarantees OF electoral liberty.
Tho Hayfian delegates sent here to
present the memorial are Fl. Pauleus
Sannon. former Havtian Secretary for
Foreign Affairs and once Haitian Min
lister to the United States. Stenio Vim
cent. former President Of the Haytian
Senate and Percival Thoby. former
Haytian Charge d'Affaires ut Wash.
ington. They represent the Patriotic
Union OF Haytt described as a non
partisan organization founded at Port
au Prince In 1880 and in which It ia
c'"fmcd, every ono OF the twenty.nire
n lat ricto 10 rrxsrnoAnfoi