Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-11-12 | Page 1 | President of Haiti Probe Witness

1 PRESIDENT OF HAITI PROBE WITNESS I NIL BOARD I SIFTS CHARGES I OF KILLINGS Haitian Executive Says He Has No Official Knowl-I Knowl-I edge of Murders I MARINES ACCUSED BY PUBLIC CLAMOR, HE SAYS People Rejoice Over Coming Of Americans. President Declares PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, Kov 12. (By tho Associated Press.) Sudrc Dartlguenave, president oi tin republic repub-lic of Haiti testifying today before th0 naval board of inquiry, declared he had no official knowledge of the charge of Indiscriminate kllhng of natives na-tives by United States marines. Speaking through an interpreter, the president said he was without means of proving the exls tones of cases of homicide or violence that may haVe been commltteed by the marines, adding: add-ing: PI in 14 I I 1MOR. "They had1 been accused by public clamor" M. Dartlguenave was the only wit-liens wit-liens testifying, and after lie hud left the chair. Judge Advuc.it' Dyer an-nounced an-nounced he had n further witness or evidence- The court then adjourned to reassemble- Upon eull by Admiral b, Henry X. Qfayo, president o.l the board o( Inquiry, and it la not probable another an-other session will be held before next PRESIDENT DEM OCR I The Haitian president, with democratic demo-cratic simpiijcit) w..ik o rrom the-palace- to the courtroom, climbing the two flights of stairs. He expressed his pleasure In informing the United States government what he knew. Answering An-swering a direct question h he h id knowledge Regarding alleged Indiscriminate Indis-criminate killings, he said: "Officially no. I have heard of regrettable act?v perpetrated at Hlnc he. SI Marc. CroLxcs. DOuqufets, Grande Revert du Nord, Merebailis and Lhs Cohidos When people have been reprpatfhed for not having kept the government Informed of all that was bejng said, tho answer, rightly or wrongly, has . been they were afraid of being caugnt by martial law, Victims or their parents par-ents have never brought their grievances, griev-ances, to me because leaders of the revolution gave tthera to understand Ihero was no Haltlen chief of state nisi i in I l M IRISES. The people, with a few exceptions, such as may be found in every ioun-try. ioun-try. have rejolceci at the coming of the Americans. They were expecting their liberty, prosperity and respect for their person and property, but 'compulsory road labor has been practiced prac-ticed despite advice by the counsel of the government This has given i Ise to discontent, which lad to the revolt ot the Cacos bandit. Misdeeds, however, how-ever, are always possible in cases of repression "