Evening star., 1937-12-08
HAITIAN SLAY|NGS
0NDOM|N|CAN SOIL
ARE PUT AT 5000
President Vincent Reveals
Official Version for
First Time.
NOT BORDER INCIDENT,
HE DECLARES FLATLY
Usual Channels for Repatriation
of Undesirables Available,
Executive Says.
BY the Associated Press.

Dy lHe ASSOCldlSQ ITeSS
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, Dec. g.
President Stenio Vincent in an exclu-
sive interview at the Haitian palace
today estimated that 5000 Haitians
have been slain on Dominican soil
since October.
He declared these slayings were
definitely and positively not a border
incident, but the assassination of
Haitians on Dominican soil far beyond
the Haitian-Dominican border"
1t was the first time the Haitian
President has discussed the Haitian
Dominican trouble with a representa-
tive of the foreign press and the first
time the official Haitian version has
been made public.
5000 Earlier Estimate.
Early reports seeping out of the
island on which the two embroiled
countries are neighbors had -laced the
number killed at about 5000. This
figure was the estimate of Haiti's
foreign minister. George Leger, in
discussing the trouble with the United
States and other countries.
The killings, according to Mr.. Leger,
occurred when the Dominican govern
ment. after revocation of permits to
Haitian laborers to work in the
Dominican Republics cane fields, or
dered roundup of Haitians to be
expelled from Dominican territory.
President Vincent asserted that the
border question which once existed
had been settled, largely at the initi-
ative Of the Haitian government, two
years ago when a treaty was signed
by the two nations. He said there
had been no border question since
then.
Usual Channels Open.
IF the Dominican government
wanted to expel foreigners they be-
lieved for one reason or another un-
desirable, they could have used the
usual channels, the same as Cuba did
when 1t repatriated thousands Of
Haitians from Cuba recently" Presi-
dent Vincent said.
Il VOW that this government has
never received the slightest ind;ca-
tions that Haitians, many of whom
resided in the Dominican Republic
for many years, suddenly had become
undesirable, until 1 heard of the as
sassinations.'
President Vincents estimate of
5000 slain was higher even than re-
ports circulating on the streets of this
sultry little mountain capital, where
the populace is clamoring for strong
measures in dealing with the Do
minican Republic.
The United States State Depart
ment on November 13 announced it
had received request from President
Vincent for the United States to offer
its good Offices, together with Cuba
and Mexico. toward seeking solution
of the Haitian Dominican contro-
versy.
When President Rafael Leonidas
Trujillo of the Dominican Republic
learned of President Vincents action,
he expressed surprise that the United
States, Cuba and Mexico had been
asked to mediate He mentioned a
diplomatic accord which exists be-
tween the two governments.
President Truiillo said as soon as
he learned the point which, according
to Haiti, was the basis for the trou-
BILE. he would be able to define his own
governments line of conduct. Later,
he said his government was investi-
eating border incident" which led
to the trouble between the two coun-
tries.
On December 4 the Dominican Re-
public said a band of Haitian farmers,
armed with hatchets, had attacked a
Dominican frontier community and
killed or wounded "a large number"
of Dominicans.