Evening star., 1932-02-10
HAITIAN CHARGES
u.SFOR(cEDLOANS
Funds Never Solicited, Says
Brother of Foreign Min
Is 20
lister at Probe.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A Haitian citizen charged before the
Senate Finance Committee today that
the State Department had forced 'oans
upon Haiti
The charge was made by George
Leger, brother of the Haitian foreign
minister. He said, however, he was
testifying as private citizen.
The State Department was quick to
take cognizance Of Legers charges, IS
suing statement that Haiti was never
on such a sound financial basis as at
present. The statement added that
Haiti had no internal debt and the
foreign Indebtedness on December 3,
YVES only S14,329.l6l76.
The committee resumed its investiga-
ton Of foreign loans in order to hear
Leger's story. AS he took the stand, the
Haitian said:
Il propose to establish that the
Haitian people have never solicited a
loan on the American market.
Charges Forced Loans.
The State Department. by sugges-
tons, recommendations and by constant
pressure On the Haitian government
forced the lean on the Haitian people"
Leger said he referred to a Sic 900 900
loan by the National City Bank
He said 1t is now being used BY the
State Department "for purely political
purposes" as a reason for continuing
Leger said. in 1917 and were repeated
financial supervision in Haiti
Suggestions for the loan started,
each year until the loan was made in
1922.
The American financial adviser of
Haiti, Leger said, has been an 'abso-
Lutte dictator"
What he says goes" the witness
added
Leger said that after the 1917 cleo
ton in Haiti was supervised by the
American Government. the American
legation asked for certain changes in
the constitution, including one to allow
foreigners to held land.
Congress Dissolved.
Gen. Smedley Butler. accompanied
by a number of Marine officers and
with decree of dissolution. locked the
doors Of the congress, he said Since
then, he testified, there was no con-
gress until the Forbes Commission
visited Haiti in 1880.
so the American Government was
in absolute possession and domination
of the Haitian situation" Leger said.
He testified that Haiti's total foreign
debt is now about s14,000,000
Leger said when the Haitian govern
ment had surplus the American finan-
cial adviser made it buy back some of
the Haitian bonds. Now, he said. the
Nd hn
ernment needs the money.
Chairman Smoot asked if he had
complained about the purchase of the
bonds at the time Leger said Haiti was
under martial law and he knew nothing
about the purchase.
Leger said the Haitian government
might have had year or two Of hard
times if the loan had net been made,
but would have been much better off
without it.
Reads Ruan Letter.
He read letter written by Addison
Ruan, American financial adviser, in
1917, advising the Haitian government
to extend the treaty of American super
vision in order to make loans.
las I understand that letter. said
Senator La Toilette, Republican. Wis
consin, "he told you to make the loan
or he could cut off your revenue"
In 1917 a treaty was signed extend
ing the American supervision treaty
for 10 years, but the loan proposed by
Ruan was net made. the witness said.
This extension was not known by
the Haitian people until 1922, Leger
testified.
When Ruan was withdrawn by the
American Government in 1918, the
Haitian government asked to be con-
suited on the appointment Of sue
cessor, Leger said, but the request was
never acknowledged and John Nc
Ilhenny was sent to succeed Ruan.
The Haitian government was never
advised of his qualification, Leger said.
He was the maker Of some kinds Of
sauce"