838.51/4490
  The President of Haiti (Lescot) to the Under Secretary of State
                             ( Welles)
                           [Translation]

                                    PORT-ATU-PRINCE, July 1, 1942.
  DEAR MR. UNDER SECRErARY OF STATE: With reference to my let-
ter of June 23, which I sent you through our Secretary of State for
Finance, Mr. Abel Lacroix, in which I requested of your kindness-
which has never failed me-assistance in the solution of the embar-
rassments in which we are at the present hour because of the impos-
sibility of importing merchandise and exporting our products and
of assuring the carrying out of our budget, I take the liberty of
troubling you once more in the midst of your high and important
occupations of the present time to solicit your help with the "Mari-
time Commission or with the War Shipping Board." It occurs to
me, in calculating the tonnage which ilaiti needs both of imports
and exports, that a solution to the grave question of vessels which are
lacking to us may, perhaps, be arranged as follows:
  Instead of endeavoring to obtain for ourselves one or two ships
per month-vessels of more than average tonnage and traveling at
their own risks and perils,-it would be to our advantage if we could
receive at Port-au-Prince a regular visit every two months only of
a vessel of about 10,000 tons which the Navy of the United States
would be good enough to convoy both coming and going. This ves-
sel, which would unload at Port-au-Prince all the goods intended for
the other Ports of the country, could receive each time a full load,
for the Haitian Government would make arrangements to have all
export products brought to the Capital and to distribute to the other
Haitian ports goods destined for them.
  Our request is not an exaggerated one for we would only dispose
of an annual tonnage of 60,000 tons and it seems to me that in view
of the critical aspects of the situation in which we are struggling
this solution might be adopted.
  I cherish the hope that under the circumstances you will, just as
you always do, grant me the fullest help and I express my thanks to
you therefor in advance.
  Receive, my dear Under Secretary of State, the renewed assurances
of my invariable sentiments of friendship and gratitude.
                                                       E. LESCOT



473



HAITI