Evening star., 1932-10-27
MINISTER ARMOUR
HAS TASK IN HAITI
Seek Ratification of Treaty
for Revising Defense and
Finance Supervision.

Norman Armour, the newly appointed
Minister to Haiti, who is to leave the
United States soon for Port-Au-Prince,
is expected to face a difficult task in
trying to get Haitian ratification OF
the treaty negotiated for the revision
of American supervision of Haitian de-
fenses and finances.
But difficult tasks are no novelty to
Armour. He was attached to the Amer
ican embassy at Lenigrad during revo-
lutionary days, saw Kerensky rise and
fall and was later imprisoned by the
BolshevlstS.
For the last four years he has been
counselor of the embassy at Paris and
he has to his credit years of service at
Rome. Toxic, The Hague, Montevideo
and Brussels.
Dana Munro, former Minister to
Haiti. recently retired to become a
member of the Princeton faculty. Just
before his retirement he negotiated a
treaty with Haiti designed to overcome
objections of Haitians to the present
treaty. made in 1918, but the legisla-
tive body of Haiti refused, September
3, to ratify it.
Notes Since Exchanged.
Since that time there have been ex-
changes of notes between the Haitian
and United States Governments in
which the United States has made it
clear the rejected treaty contains the
maximum concessions It can grant to
Haiti. because of the financial obliga-
tions assumed by the two governments
in the treaty of 1915.
Under that treaty Haiti's foreign
debts were consolidated and her finan-
rto Hot NJ ty, Nrla hyy ,f
an American loan guaranteed by the
United States. The treaty of 1915 was
framed when the United States went
into Haiti with marines, establishing
order after five years of unrest in which
there were seven presidents. The last
of these, President Sam, was murdered
while attending the funeral of 167 polit-
ical prisoners who had been massacred
in Jail
An American cruiser landed marines
the Gay Of this murder, July 26. 1915,
and American troops have been in the
Negro republic ever since
Under the terms of the 1915 treaty
the marines are to be withdrawn in
1886. The treaty rejected by Haitian
legislators would have withdrawn Amer
lean marines two years earlier.
Financial Control Terms.
1t also provided for modification of
the American financial control in such
manner that only funds necessary to
meet foreign obligations would be
handled by an American official, who
would not otherwise interfere with
Haitian finances so long as the republic
kept its budget within its income
Haitians opposed to the present gov
eminent criticized the proposed treaty
and defeated it on the ground that it
really did not lessen the foreign finan-
cial control. They charged that it even
frightened the foreign hold on Haitian
finances.
If no new treaty is ratified by Haiti.
the United States will carry out its
"Haitianization" of the native guard
according to existing agreement and
withdraw the brigade of American ma
rines in 1886
Albert Blanchet, Haitian Secretary Of
State for Foreign Affairs. has endeavor-
ed to persuade the United States to
separate the military and, financial
phases of the treaty and make a sep
arate agreement about the military,
leaving the financial problems for later
discussion. but the United States has
declined to Go this.