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

HA–9. Letter from the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Sprague)¹

Washington, September 23, 1958

Dear Mr. Sprague:

I refer to Mr. Rubottom’s letter of September 9, 1958² which recommended the assignment of United States Marine Corps training personnel to Haiti provided that the Haitian Government would agree to permit such personnel to operate under conditions deemed satisfactory by the State and Defense Departments. As you know, representatives of the Department of Defense (Colonel Victor Croizat, USMC) and of this Department (Mr. William A. Wieland) visited Haiti September 10 to 13 to discuss this matter further with the President of Haiti and officials of his government.

Ambassador Drew participated in these discussions and on September 12 an understanding was initialed by him and the Haitian President on the following points: the Haitian Government will take measure to allay current political tension; the U.S. reserves the right to curtail the training mission’s activities or even withdrew it in case of a recurrence of internal violence of political origin; and the training mission will not become involved in training or advising the Haitian police. The Haitian Government also agreed to give adequate support to the training mission and to allow it sufficient scope to operate effectively. A public statement was released in Haiti on the fact that discussions were being held; the specific understanding reached has not, of course, been made public.³

I think it is of great importance to follow up these successful talks with the Haitian President by assigning a Marine Corps Training Mission to Haiti at the earliest possible time. Since negotiation of the necessary agreement and other preliminary steps may consume several months, I further recommend that a temporary military training unit (USMC personnel) be sent immediately to Haiti to begin the training desired by the Haitian Government.⁴ This would be of great value from the point of view of our basic relations with Haiti, as tangible evidence of our intention to work with Haiti in this field of vital importance to it. On July 28–29 of this year a revolutionary attempt was made against the elected Government of Haiti by a small force launched from U.S. soil, which included American citizens. This attempt was quickly crushed but there are many reports of further plotting in the United States and elsewhere against the Haiti an Government. To counteract the adverse impression created by the involvement of Americans in the July 28–29 attempt and the reports of further plotting on U.S. soil, I think it is of urgent importance for the U.S. to take all possible steps to forestall a possible repetition of that attempt. The speedy arrival of a military training unit (even though it might be a comparatively small unit assigned on a temporary basis) would be useful in accomplishing this political objective. Further, the Haitian request for this mission has made it possible for us to obtain important political commitments from the Haitian President which, if complied with, should tend to stabilize the presently-disturbed situation in that country.

A further consideration motivating my recommendation for the early assignment of a military training unit is that the experience of this temporary unit will provide a test of the probable effectiveness of the proposed full-scale training mission as well as a test of the Haitian Government’s ability to allay political tension, as agreed in the memorandum of understanding. A copy of that memorandum is enclosed.⁵

Sincerely Yours,

Robert Murphy

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 738.58/9-958. Confidential. Drafted by Warner and cleared in draft with Spencer and Athol H. Ellis of the office of the Special Assistant for Mutual Security Coordination.
2. See the summary of the letter to Irwin in the memorandum from Wieland to Snow of August 28, Document, HA–7.
3. The texts of the memorandum of understanding for negotiations of conditions under which the United States would provide Marine Corps Personnel to Haiti and of the joint communiqué issued to the press on September 12 were transmitted to the Department of State in despatch 133 from Port-au-Prince on September 12. (738.58/9–1258)
4. Snow had recommended this course of action in a memorandum to Murphy of September 22. (738.58/9–2258)
5. The temporary Marine Corps training unit arrived in Port-au-Prince on October 31. (Telegram 212 from Port-au-Prince, October 31; 738.58/10–3158) On December 29, 1958, the United States and Haiti concluded a Naval Mission Agreement that provided for the assignment of a permanent mission of Naval and Marine Corps personnel. For the text of the agreement, see 9 UST 1528.