Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-09
By JAMES F. CUNNINGHAM


PORT-AU-PRINCE. - Haiti is
headed for economic and political
bankruptcy unless elections and
stable government are achieved
soon.
That is the opinion of foreign
observers who have witnessed a
year-long economic decline, accel-
Grated by over six months of almost
continuous political crisis in this
Negro nation Of 3.5 million people.
Yet. the Caribbean island repub-
lie seems little nearer to the presi-
dental ballot boxes today than
when the first of series of general
strikes ousted the last elected Chief
Executive. Gen. Paul E. Magloire,
December Is. 1856.
Since that date, four provisional
governments-including a Short
lived military regime-have joined
the passing parade. Twice this
year. elections have been scheduled
and registration officially begun.
But each time some combination
OF candidates has Unanswered to
bring down the government
apparently for fear that the cleo
ton would not go its way under
the existing regime.
Daniel Fignole. the 43-year-old
labor leader who was installed as
Provisional President with the
blessing of Port-au-Prince mobs on
May 26. Immediately pledged cleo
tons "as soon as possible"
There is some speculation already,
however, as to whether Mr.. Fignole
will stay in the white marble Palais
Rationale long enough to see cleo
tons through. One political oppo-
nent gives him no more than 80
days.
Serious Challenges
Mr.. Fignole is confronted on one
hand by a severe depression and
the solid opposition of businessmen;
on the other, by hungry, poverty
ridden followers who want to cash
in Immediately on his lavish cam
paign promises - which include q
500 per cent increase of the min
imum wage.
Other Fignole problems will be
to hold together a loosely wrapped
political alliance with two other
presidential candidates and keep
In line an often meddlesome army
whose officers are largely partiSans
Of those other candidates.
AS If that we're not enough, Mr..
Fignole has stirred a public con-
troversy by announcing himself
still a candidate even before sched-
uling elections. Many hold that it
is unconstitutional in this second
oldest republic in the hemisphere
for president-even a provisional
one-to seek reelection.
Meanwhile, the economic situa-
ton in Haiti-which is about the
size Of Maryland-is moving rap
idly from very bad to worse.
Apprehensive merchants have
been retrenching since the mob &C
ton which preceded Mr.. Fignole's
rise to power They are canceling
big orders. withdrawing shipments
from customs On piecemeal, daily
need basis and taking other meas
ures to hold inventories on their
shelves to minimum.
Economic Woes Double
Heavy transfers of funds from
the Banque Rationale d'Haiti to the
local branch of the Royal Bank of
Canada are reported. Haitian gov
eminent employees were late receiv.
ing their last checks and merchants
who cashed them reported that
they were not being accepted for
deposit.
Two steamship companies-Alcoa
and its Canadian subsidiary,
Saguenay Terminals Ltd.-have dis
continued their usual Haiti service
for two months. Customs brokers
reported that shipments are piling
up in the warehouses because i'm
porters cannot pay for them. Some
United States and Canadian firms
have stopped credit and require
Haitian importers to pay cash.
These developments come at a
time when the Haitian economy was
already scraping bottom-the COM
bined result of a poor coffee crop
last year, sagging world sisal prices
and the effect Of political uncer-
tainties on touriSm.
The capital areas nearly 1000
hotel rooms have not been as much
as 10 per cent filled for several
weeks. Although Haitis political