Evening star., 1929-12-06
HOOVER INFORMED
OF HAITI! TROUBLE
President Keeps in Touch and
May Issue Statement
Within 24 Hours.

| The situation in Haiti as the result
of strikes among the dock workers and
other natives is becoming serious
enough, according to advices received 81
the State Department and White House
today, to cause considerable concern
among high administration officials.
President Hoover is known to have
asked the State Department to keen
him fully advised as to developments,
and has intimated that he may have
something to say upon the subject
within the next "a hours.
May Send More Marines.
Those who have kept in close touch
with the situation viewed as one of the
possibilities the necessity of sending
more Marines to the island. American
forces are already stationed there, but
1t was thought that more men might
be needed in case there was any serious
turn of events.
The SeCretary's statement reviewed
the events leading up to the proclama-
ton making effective martial law which
has technically existed for several years.
The students at the agricultural
school at Damion, Haiti, went on strike
on october 81" the Secretary's state
ment said. THE Haitian government
had hitherto allotted $4,000 De annum
TO this school for scholarships, but it
had this year withheld $4,000 of the
appropriation in order to make it pos
sible to pay needed students for prac-
tlcal farm work on the school grounds"
Protest New Policy.
The strike was declared as protest
against this new policy.
sympathetic strikes were subse-
quently declared in the medical and
law schools. President Borno (of HATH
appointed committee of prominent
Haltians to inquire into the matter, and
1t seemed probable for time that rec
concentrations presented by this COM
would adjust the difficulty. Certain
political elements. however inspired ap-
parently by the approaching presidential
election, took advantage of the situation
10 toment propaganda against the
Haitian administration and endeavored
10 Drlng about strikes in other schools
and among the government employees.
On December the American high
commissioner, Brig. Gen John H. Rus
sell, reported that the strike movement
had spread throughout the country, and
that it was feared that the Haitian en-
ployes of the departments under Amer
lcan treaty officials might become in
volved.
Officials Injured.
"On December the customs house
employees at Port au Prince abandoned
their work after destroying office furni-
ture and mistreating and injuring two
American officials. Neither official was
seriously hurt. Subsequently some of
the employees in the financial advisers
offlce walked out A diSorderly crowd
gathered about the ministry of finance
and entered the financial advisers
office, but without threatening the
American officials The situation was
regarded as exceedingly serious because
OF the popular excitement and the dan
gers of outbreaks by irresponsible ele-
mentS
"On the morning of December 5, a
grave situation arose at AUX Cages, an
important coffee port, where there are
25 Americans. The high commissioner
fears that a similar serious situation
may break out at other ports. On
Wednesday he made proclamation
making effective the condition of
martial law which has existed tech
nically for several years. He reported
Yesterday, December S, at pm, from
Port au Prince that the proclamation
had had an excellent effect. The sit
uation in the cities of Port au Prince
and Cape Haitien at the last reports
was quietf