838.20/14

The Minister in Haiti ( Mayer ) to the Secretary of State

No. 208

Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegram No. 62 of June 13, 3 p.m., and the Department’s No. 46 of June 16, 7 p.m., with regard to the furnishing by our Government of a military mission to Haiti to act in an advisory capacity with respect to the Garde d’Haiti.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs brought up this subject again yesterday. He explained that he and President Vincent had been considering the question of publicity with regard to this matter and had felt that it was desirable to have some preparation. President Vincent and M. Léger have in mind that it would be undesirable to announce the arrangement with regard to a military mission more or less simultaneously with the new public works operation. Knowing these people, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs said, he was afraid that if these two matters were announced together there might be some misunderstanding in public opinion to the effect that the “imposition” of a military mission was the price for the public works operations. In order to prevent any possibility of this, President Vincent believed it would be desirable to wait until the agreement had been signed for the public works matter and then, within a few days or a week thereafter, President Vincent would make a speech in which he would discuss the disorganization in the Garde, occasioned by the recent socalled Calixte plot,71 and state the desirability of having military experts here for a general review of the Garde organization and its modernization, et cetera. In this way President Vincent felt that the question of a military mission would be properly attributed to the Garde situation rather than possibly, inaccurately and unfortunately, to a bargain with respect to the projected public works operation.

I believe this is a wise attitude on the part of the Haitian Government and is also desirable from our point of view. Haiti being the queer place it is, misunderstandings might arise, as the President indicated, if the question of a military mission is not handled carefully and in the manner indicated by President Vincent as desirable.

Incidentally, M. Léger volunteered the statement that there was no question of any change of heart on the part of the Haitian Government [Page 647] with regard to a military mission. On the contrary, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said they were increasingly anxious to have this mission and to have it at the earliest date practicable. In all the circumstances, I am inclined to believe that this is true.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs said that he understood that President Vincent intended to speak to me about this matter shortly. I may, therefore, have other details to report to the Department at an early date.

Respectfully yours,

Ferdinand L. Mayer
  1. In December 1937 an unsuccessful attempt was made by a number of junior officers of the Haitian Garde to assassinate Major Durcé Armand, commander of the Palace Garde, and a fellow officer. Colonel D. P. Calixte, the former commandant of the Haitian Garde, was regarded as the instigator of the plot against Major Armand and of an alleged plot to seize control of the Government. He fled the country, but his nephew and 15 other officers were tried; the nephew was executed; 4 others were sentenced to death, and 12 were imprisoned. The death sentences were later commuted by the President to imprisonment. (838.00/3396, 3407, 3411, 3415, 3417.)