Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume V, Microfiche Supplement, American Republics

HA–18. Memorandum of a Conversation, the White House, Washington¹

August 4, 1959

SUBJECT

• Call on President Eisenhower by the Ambassador of Haiti, Ernest Bonhomme.

PARTICIPANTS

• The President
• Ambassador of Haiti, Ernest Bonhomme
• R. R. Rubottom Jr., Assistant Secretary of state for Inter-American Affairs

After being greeted by the President, the Ambassador handed him a note (in French only)² in which President Duvalier expressed appreciation for the President’s efforts on behalf of world peace and offered military cooperation from Haiti in the form of military bases as well as such other cooperation as might serve the common ends pursued by the United Stated and Haiti.

The Ambassador told the President that President Duvalier was grateful for the role being played by the United States at this momentous juncture of world events and that, while he recognized that the Caribbean was only a small part of the total picture, he still recalled the President’s remarks last year that “Peace is indivisible”. The Ambassador said that cooperation should be a two-way street and in view of that being extended by the United States, Haiti wanted to reciprocate, possibly by facilitating the use of its territory by the United States for training in tropical warfare or for a naval base, perhaps with submarine facilities.

The President asked whether there was any particular site that the Haitian President had in mind. The Ambassador recalled that San Nicolás had always been considered to be an excellent prospective base site and that there were other secure areas available.

After expressing thanks for the proffered Haitian cooperation, the President said that the U.S. approached the problems of the Americans, other than those of a bilateral nature, through the Organization American States. The Unites States is hopeful that the upcoming meeting in Santiago on August 12 will contribute to a solution to the problem of the Caribbean. It is our hope at least that the meeting will prevent the problem from becoming any more serious since, unfortunately, outright solutions to problems sometimes elude us. The President said that the Departments of State and Defense would have to give detailed study to President Duvalier’s specific offer. This may require some time, so that a definitive reply may not be forthcoming until after the meeting in Santiago.³ He said that he would send an acknowledgment promptly, however.

The President told the Ambassador of his pleasure on being informed of the recovery of President Duvalier from his recent heart attack. After thanking the President for receiving him, the Ambassador departed.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.38/8–459. Official Use Only. Drafted by Rubottom.
2. In this letter dated July 13, President Duvalier offered allow the United States to establish submarine bases and training camps on Haitian territory. The white House sent Duvalier’s letter to the Department of State with a request for a translation. The letter and a copy of the translation as sent to the White House are in Presidential Correspondence, Lot 64 D 174.
3. In a memorandum of September 19, acting Secretary of State Douglas Dillon informed President Eisenhower that the Department of State in consultation with the Department of Defense had completed its study of President Duvalier’s proposal and had determined that “there is no present or anticipated requirement for a permanent military installation in Haiti, although it would be useful to have access to sites suitable for intermittent amphibious training. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Administration Series, “Dillon, C. Douglas”) Eisenhower initialed the memorandum. On September 22, the Department of State instructed the Embassy at Port-au-prince to inform President Duvalier of the United States decision as described in Dillon’s memorandum. (Airgram G–3 to Port-au-Prince; 711.56338/7–1459)