Outraged & Helpless

According to Haiti's constitution, the six-year term of President Francios Duvalier ended last week on May 15. But the dictator of the Negro republic in the Caribbean who calls himself "Papa Doc," has his own way of interpreting constitutions. In legislative elections two years ago, he had his name printed at the top of every ballot, then announced that everyone who voted had thereby unanimously elected him to a new six-year term. So now, as all could see, he still had four years to go. With bland audacity, Duvalier received foreign newsmen last week at a press conference in Port-au-Prince's National Palace. "Gentlemen," he said in cool, precise English, "I wish to take this opportunity to assure our friends in the Western Hemisphere that Haiti will continue under my administration as a peaceful, nonaggressive nation."

The U.S. and most of Duvalier's Latin American neighbors were outraged, but helpless so long as Duvalier and his bloody, graft-ridden regime held power, with the help of his cocky Tonton Macoute hoodlums. The neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, had threatened to invade Haiti unless Duvalier granted safe-conduct to 23 refugees who had taken asylum at the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince. Duvalier obligingly granted safe-conduct to 20 of the 23, and Dominican President Juan Bosch pulled back some of his troops from the border.

The Organization of American States had sent investigating teams twice to Haiti, yet many nations were loath to impose sanctions. Intervention is a nasty word in Latin America, and memories of the Marine occupation of Haiti from 1915-34 are still fresh. In Washington Senator J. William Fulbright, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, left a State Department briefing on Haiti, fuming at the OAS's "apathy" and lack of "determination." Costa Rica's Gonzalo J. Facio, chairman of the OAS Council, could only answer: "The organization has no power to take action when there is not an international conflict."

As Duvalier persisted into his unconstitutional second term, Venezuela and Costa Rica broke diplomatic relations. The U.S., in an odd neither-this-nor-that diplomatic maneuver, "suspended contacts" with Haiti. Ambassador Raymond L. Thurston was ordered to remain in Port-au-Prince, but to have absolutely no conversation with Duvalier's government. Along with about 200 other U.S. dependents, Ambassador Thurston's wife was sent home. Duvalier was still in power, but his security remained precarious. Ready to move in if things got out of hand, a U.S. task force, headed by the helicopter carrier Boxer with a reinforced battalion of marines aboard, sailed back and forth just outside Haiti's three-mile limit.

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