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November 5, 1920

M. Louis Borno,
Port-au-Prince,
Haiti.

My dear M. Borno:

The Haitian matter is still being pressed forward. As you perhaps already know, Secretary Daniels has ordered a court of inquiry to investigate the conduct of American marines in Haiti. However, that will not be the end of the matter. We are quite sure that a Congressional investigation will be instituted and that the whole Haitian matter from beginning to end will be thrashed out so that the American people will know the truth and justice will be done.

The whole Haitian question has now been opened up. The American people know the facts. The government is on the defensive. It is now necessary for Haitians themselves to finish the work that has been commenced. They can now make their voice heard. There should be sent to Washington at once a mission composed of the best men that Haiti can send. It should be the business of this mission to have a constructive program drawn up, a program which includes the complete restoration of Haitian sovereignty, the withdrawal of American military forces within a specified time, the election of a Constitutional Assembly, and the appointment of a commission composed of five Americans and five Haitians whose business it would be to adjust all of the questions at issue. A mission should be sent to Washington immediately to undertake these steps and that mission should remain in Washington until these ends are achieved.

The elections are over; the Republican party is victorious. This gives Haiti a great opportunity, but the Haitians themselves must take advantage of it.

I am sending you a copy of my articles as issued in pamphlet form. You might find out if there are any persons in Port-au-Prince or other parts of the island who wish copies of this pamphlet. The price is only twenty-five cents. You will,

December 3, 1920

Mr. Louis Borno,
Port-au-Prince,
Haiti.

My dear Mr. Borno:

I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the 11th with the enclosure of five dollars for
the subscription to The Nation. I have placed your sub-
scription and you will begin to receive the numbers at once.

I am very much gratified to learn of the determina-
tion of the patriotic Haitians to fight the question of their
independence with energy and courage. As I said in a former
letter it is now for the Haitians themselves to achieve the
victory. I have done what I could. The American public is
aroused. The newspapers every day are filled with comments
on the Haitian situation. I feel confident that the new
administration is going to take definite steps for the restora-
tion of Haitian independence. and the reparation of the wrongs
which have been committed.

I am sending you under spearate cover several
copies of my pamphlet.

With regards to Mme. Borno, I am

JWJ/RR

November 5, 1920

M. Victor Delbeau,
Port-au-Prince,
Haiti.

My dear M. Delbeau:

I have your letter of September 28 and I wish
to thank you for your words of appreciation of my efforts in
behalf of Haiti. We are still pressing the matter. As you perhaps
already know, Secretary Daniels has ordered a court of inquiry to
investigate the conduct of American marines in Haiti. We do not
intend to let the matter rest there. We are working daily to make
bare the whole truth about Haiti and to prepare the way for justice
to be done.

The whole Haitian question has now been opened up. The American people know the facts. The government is on the defensive. It is now necessary for Haitians to finish the work that has been commenced. They can now make their voice heard. There should be sent to Washington at once a mission composed of the ablest men that Haiti can send. It should be the business of this mission to have a constructive program drawn up, a program which includes the complete restoration of Haitian sovereignty, the withdrawal of American military forces within a specified time, the election of a Constitutional Assembly, and the appointment of a joint commission composed of five Americans and five Haitians whose business it would be to adjust all of the questions at issue. A mission should be sent to Washington immediately to undertake these steps and that mission should remain in Washington until these ends are achieved.

The elections are over; the Republican Party is victorious. This gives Haiti a great opportunity but Haitians themselves must take advantage of it.

With kind regards, I am

JWJ/RR

September 21, 1920.

M. Emile Faubert,
Haitian Consulate,
31 Broadway,
New York City, N.Y.

My dear M. Faubert:

I have been instructed to write you regarding a
proposed conference of certain prominent citizens
of Haiti and certain American citizens, for the
purpose of forming a body which shall look after
Haitian interests in the United States.

It is especially desirable I believe, just at this
time while there is so much discussion of conditions
in Haiti and particularly while M. Pradel and M.
Bonami are in this city. The time and place of
this conference is to be decided upon as soon as I
hear from you.

Please let me know about these items as soon as
you return to New York, so that the matter can be
immediately taken up. If you will telephone me
I can explain in greater detail than I can in a
letter what is proposed that this conference shall
accomplish.

Very truly yours,

Assistant Secretary.

WFW:LGP (well known)

Haiti-Santo Domingo Independence Society

Room 401, 20 Vesey Street
New York City

OFFICERS

MOORFIELD STOREY, Chairman
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON, Vice-Chairman
HELENA HILL WEED, Secretary
ROBERT HERRICK, Treasurer

(Make checks payable to LEWIS S. GANNETT, Assistant Treasurer)

ADVISORY COUNCIL

FELIX ADLER
ERNEST ANGELL
MRS. JOHN WINTERS BRANNAN
HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, D.D.
ALBERT DE SILVER
GILSON GARDNER
ERNEST H. GRUENING
FRANCIS HACKETT
DONALD R. HOOKER, M.D.
MRS. EDITH HOUGHTON HOOKER
MRS. CHARLES E. KNOBLAUCH
PAUL KENNADAY
BEN B. LINDSEY
ROBERT MORSS LOVETT
RT. REV. FRANCIS J. McCONNELL
JAMES G. MacDONALD
WILLIAM C. MATTHEWS
JOHN E. MILHOLLAND
JESSIE MORRIS
MARY WHITE OVINGTON
JOHN A. RYAN, D.D.
HERBERT J. SELIGMANN
ARTHUR B. SPINGARN
THEODORE SUTRO
OSWALD GARRISON VILLARD
SUE S. WHITE
L. HOLLINGSWORTH WOOD

September 15th, 1921.

The Haiti-Santo Domingo Independence Society asks your active support of its work, now well under way.

The society was formed as a result of the presentation to this government of the "Haitian Memoir" by responsible Haitian citizens, members of the non-partisan Union Patriotique d'Haiti. The memoir consisted of categorical charges against the American Occupation of graft, cruelty, brutality, torture and murder, as well as specific charges of treaty violations, legislative and civic lawlessness, financial malfeasance and the substitution of autocratic control by individuals and courts martial for the orderly processes of their hitherto independent and constitutional government.

Believing that these charges were of so serious a character that they could no longer be ignored or brushed aside, this society was organized for the purpose of securing an open, thorough and complete investigation of the entire Occupation, the restoration of their full independence to these two nations and to work for the extension to them of future aid based on mutual understandings and international justice.

We are well on our way to the first of these objects. Senator McCormick of Illinois, on whose motion the Senate ordered the investigation, and who is Chairman of the committee, has welcomed the aid of our society in his work. We have engaged Mr. Ernest Angell, of the firm of Trowbridge & Fox, to represent us throughout the investigation. He will be present at all the sessions of the committee, both in this country and in Haiti, will cross examine all witnesses and will secure and present the testimony of witnesses whom our society is locating.

Owing to the fact that all public discussion and criticism of the Occupation has been suppressed in Haiti and Santo Domingo, under military laws involving very severe punishments for infractions thereof, it is extremely difficult and costly to locate, verify and secure the testimony of many valuable witnesses. They hesitate to jeopardize their future, remembering that some complainants in the past have immediately been "murdered by bandits," according to the official reports.

The work of locating and securing these and other witnesses, involving legal and travelling expenses, our expenses connected with the investigation and our office expenses all cost money. We have no dues but depend on the voluntary contributions of our members to sustain our work.

Will you not show your interest by enrolling as a member of the society and, when sending in your enrollment slip, will you not include as generous a contribution as possible to help carry the work along. Money given *now*, when our expenses in preparing for the hearings are so heavy, will count for far more than larger sums given later.

We feel that our nation, which has made such supreme sacrifices for the principle of democracy and for the right of the little nations to self-government and protection from invasion and oppression by powerful neighbors, can no longer stand before the world as a ruthless violator of these principles. Please give us your moral and financial support in the stand we take.

Very truly yours,

Secretary.

Can you not send us a contribution of $10? If you feel that you cannot send that amount make it $5, $4, $3, $2, or even $1—every little helps.

MEMORANDUM RE CONFERENCE ON HAITIAN SITUATION:

On August 2 the Secretary attended a conference at the Nation office called at the instance of Mr. Villard for the purpose of organizing a society for Haitian and Santo Dominican independence.

Such a society was organized and will at once begin working in connection with the hearings to be held before the Senate Investigating Committee at Washington.

The temporary officers elected were:

President..................Moorfield Storey
Vice President.............James Weldon Johnson
Secretary..................Mrs. Helena Hill Weed
Treasurer..................Robert Herrick

Executive Committee: Dr. Ernest H. Gruening
Herbert J. Seligmann
Albert De Silver
Mr. MacDonald

November 5, 1920

M. Alfred Henriquez, Avocat,
Port-au-Prince,
Haiti.

My dear M. Henriquez:

I have your letter of September 27 and I wish to thank you for your words of appreciation of my efforts in behalf of Haiti. We are still pressing the matter. As you perhaps already know, Secretary Daniels has ordered a court of inquiry to investigate the conduct of American marines in Haiti. We do not intend to let the matter rest there. We are working daily to make bare the whole truth about Haiti and to prepare the way for justice to be done.

The whole Haitian question has now been opened up. The American people know the facts. The government is on the defensive. It is now necessary for Haitians to finish the work that has been commenced. They can now make their voice heard. There should be sent to Washington at once a mission composed of the ablest men that Haiti can send. It should be the business of this mission to have a constructive program drawn up, a program that includes the complete restoration of Haitian sovereignty, the withdrawal of American military forces within a specified time, the election of a Constitutional Assembly, and the appointment of a joint commission composed of five Americans and five Haitians whose business it would be to adjust all of the questions at issue. A mission should be sent to Washington immediately to undertake these steps and that mission should remain in Washington until these ends are achieved.

With kind regards, I am

Sincerely yours,

JWJ/RR

Acting Secretary.

December 22, 1930

Dr. Arthur C. Holly,
1618 rue du Centre,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

My dear Dr. Holly:

I have your most interesting letter of the 10th and I have noted very carefully all of the information which you have given me. I am glad to know that Haitians of intelligence and influence are getting together, burying their differences, and working in harmony and union for the common good of their country.

As I have said in former letters to the men to whom I have written, the whole Haitian situation is now more in the hands of the Haitians than in the hands of their friends in the United States. We must have unity of purpose and unity of action. The purpose ought to be high. It should aim at nothing less than the restoration of full and free Haitian independence. The action should be energetic and intelligent.

The Haitian people should have in Washington a representative to work together with the friends of Haiti in the United States in order to keep this matter before Congress until some relief is gained.

I wish to thank you for the newspapers and various clippings you have sent me. I hope you will continue to keep me informed of happenings at Port-au-Prince.

I appreciate very much the regard in which you say I am held by the people of Haiti and I hope at some time to again visit the country and to meet with the many friends whom I made there.

Regarding your suggestion of sending a request to President Hareang relative to the American ministership to Haiti, I wish to say that I regard this sentiment on the part of Haitian citizens as a very high compliment to me, but I feel that I can do a great deal more for Haiti as a country and to bring about the proper relations between the Haitian people and the people of color in the United States in the position which I now occupy than I could in any other.

I wish you would give my kindest regards to your brother

Pierre Hudicourt

25 years of Practice of Law

Former Head of the Bar-Association

Former Professor at the National Law School

Former Special Envoy of Haiti to Washington

Former Delegate to the Second Hague Peace Conference

Member of the American Society of International Law

Former Member of the Legislative Body
1712-D Street

Port-au-Prince (Haiti)