File No. 838.51/464
Minister Blanchard to the Secretary of State
Port au Prince, January 13, 1916, 9 a.m.
Your January 8, 6 p.m. Instructions complied with. Accompanied by Admiral Caperton and Colonel Waller in an interview on Tuesday morning with the President at which Minister for Foreign Affairs was present both the President and Minister for Foreign Affairs approved of telegraphing the Haitian Commissioners to accept the Department’s phraseology, and appointment made for that afternoon with the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the wording of telegram would be communicated to me. Discussion as to the modus operandi for the disbandment of the guard lasting [Page 341] three hours then took place. Finally, the President decided that it would be necessary to have the sanction of Council on the proposed plan of disbanding of the guard and replacement by gendarmerie. Unofficially the President personally agreed with Department’s view as set forth. On keeping the afternoon appointment with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, he requested a delay of twenty-four hours stating that the whole matter had been placed before the Council.
Late yesterday evening Minister for Foreign Affairs called at the Legation and declared to me that
the Haitian Government deems that the question of gendarmerie being one of those to be arranged between the Department of State and the Haitian Commissioners, it is necessary for the Government to leave to the negotiators at Washington the settlement of everything with reference thereto; consequently instructions have been sent to our Commissioners with a view to settle the question of the President’s guard.
As reported in my telegram of January 6, 5 p.m. and as will appear from the above, the disbandment of the palace guard was accepted, along with the other reforms, but apparently have not been sustained by a majority of the Council, and the view that the question of the palace guard should be decided in Washington having prevailed the Haitian Commissioners were instructed accordingly.