Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1921-05-12
HAITI AGAIN HAS
|. TALE OF HORRORS
Delegation Lays List Of AtrOci-
ties to Marines.
DISCOUNTS FIRST PROBE
Memorial Declares Admiral Mayo
Missed Much and Demands End Of
Martial Rule.

Mdthtai FA0t~.
Washington. Charging a long
series of atrocities by American
in Haiti. and demanding the with
drawal OF the United States military
forces from that republic, three Hal
tian delegates are In Washington to
present memorial to President Hard
ing, the state department and con-
gress.
The memorial was made public by
the delegates. 1t reviews the fiHe
years or military occupation Of Haiti,
and declares that 1t Is "the most ten
ribe n CINE Of military autocracy
which has ever been carried on In
the name OF the great American dem
ocracy."
The naval investigation Of condi-
lions In the republic ordered by Sec
rotary Daniels last year and conduct
ed by board under Rear Admiral
Mayo, Is characterized as "joke,"
and Rear Admiral Knapp is accused
OF having done nothing at alr' when
he visited Haiti under orders from
Secretary Daniels to make person
al inquiry.
"The Haitian people feel" says the
memorial, "that II the naval court OF
inquiry has not fulfilled In Haiti the
broad mandate conferred upon 1t by
Mr.. Josephus Daniels, It Is because It
was faced with charges OF such hor-
rfble nature that 1t thought best to
pass them over In silence
Among the acts charged against
the American occupation Of Haiti are !:
Administration or the water cure"
and other fortunes OF American off,
GERS and marines and the commission
OF "numberless abominable crimes" OF
which twenty-five cases, with names
and dates, are given In the memorial
Removal OF $4,000 Of Haitian gov
eminent funds which American ma
rines carried off "and took on board
the gunboat Machas," and which
were deposited In New York bank
to force the Haitian government to
accept control Of the customs house
by Systematically deprlvlng it Of f.
Hdntldi TeSOuTceS.
entrance by Brigadler General
Smedley ID. Butler on June 49, 1917,
revolver in hand, followed by Ameri-
can officers armed with their revol-
vers," into the Haitian legislative
chamber and dissolution by force Of
the Haitian legislative assembly
Enforced ratification on June II,
1918, Of a new Haitian constitution,
with marines presiding at the ballot
boxes, only ballots bearing the word
"yes'' being issued.
Exclusion from the naval court of
inquiry Of "all Haltians who had any
thing to say regarding the numerous
cases OF murder, brutality, rape, ar
son, etc, that Is, Of Haitians who
wished TO convince the court Of In
quiry OF the way in which the forces
OF occupation had carried ont their
duty in Haiti"
The memorial concludes by stating
that during the five years of Ameri-
can occupation Haiti "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 Haitian people ask PREPARATION,
says the memorial, and they also re-
quest
Immediate abolition of martial law
and courts-martial.
Immediate reorganization Of the
Haitian police and military forces,
and withdrawal within short period
of the American military forces.
Abrogation of the convention of
1915 under which American military
occupation began.
Convocation within a short period
of constituent assembly with all
guarantees of electoral liberty.