ACCUSED U.S. MARINES.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1920, Page 3

ACCUSED U.S. MARINES.

NEW YORK, Oct. 10. r Sensational evidence of what has been t ;aking place in the Black Republic of t Haiti during the o) years it has been a iccupied by armed forces’ of the United s States was given this morning in a re- t xirt by Brigadier-General George Bar- t lett, former Commandant of the Gen- c iral Marine Corps, made public by the N’avy Department. The most amazing statement in the •oport is that “unlawful and indiscrininate killing of natives” by American na rines has occurred. Apart from this, General Barnett , gives tho marines credit for restoring ( order in the Republic and protecting the cities and inhabtants from bandits. Die report states that of 3,250 Haitians killed during the American occupation more than half lost their lives in their repulse of the attack on Port-au-Prince and the subsequent operations, adding: ‘Without the operations by the marines a much larger number of natives would liave been killed by bandits. It was in a confidential letter to , Colonel John H. Russell, commanding the marine forces at Haiti, and written in September of last year, that General Barnett called his attention to the evi- J dence that came out. in the court-martial of three privates to the effect that j “practically indiscriminate killing J natives had gone on for some time.” In the letter the. general proceeded to say: “I am shocked beyond expres- j sion to hear of such things and to know that it was at all possible that duty could be so badly performed by marines of any class.” The report brings out that there had also been great dissatisfaction in Haiti, concerning the revival of the corvee system—forced labour for road-making. It does not show how many Haitians had been “unlawfully and indiscriminately killed,” nor who was responsible, nor* dies it show what action, if any, has -been taken for the punishment of the guilty ones.