Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1922, Volume II

839.00/2525

The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Roosevelt) to the Secretary of State

Washington, May 24, 1922.

My Dear Mr. Secretary: I am enclosing you a copy of the proposed letter of instruction to the Military Governor of the Dominican Republic. …

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Believe me [etc.]

Theodore Roosevelt

[Enclosure]

Draft of Proposed Instruction from the Secretary of the Navy (Denby) to the Military Governor of the Dominican Republic (Robison)

[Washington,] May 23, 1922.

1. It is the policy of the Government to so arrange for the withdrawal of its forces from the Dominican Republic as to accomplish such withdrawal with a minimum of friction, after the preliminary conditions, with which you are familiar, shall have been complied with. With this end in view, the Department deems it advisable to outline its views on the subject of the relations which it believes should subsist between the Second Brigade and the Policia Nacional as follows.

2. Based upon the information in the Department, it appears that a state of peace exists in the Dominican Republic; that there is no armed opposition to our military forces; and that retention of the Brigade of Marines is necessary at the present time for the following reasons, only:

(a) The lack of adequate police and constabulary forces in the Republic.

(b) Their presence discourages possible attempts to organize armed bands with the purpose on the part of the leaders to, thereby, control the country in whole or in part.

(c) Their presence provides a strong moral support to the military government in the accomplishment of its mission.

3. In view of the above, it is believed to be desirable at the earliest practicable date to divorce the purely military forces of the United States—the Second Brigade of Marines—from what normally are civil duties.

4. Civil duties should ordinarily be performed by the Policia Nacional. This force should therefore be developed as rapidly as possible to perform the necessary police and constabulary duties.

5. Such personnel of the Marine Corps as you may need to assist in ordinary governmental functions, should, so far as, and as soon as practicable, be separated from the Brigade. They should undertake their special work with the idea that they are to function in the manner of civil administrators, rather than as military officials.

6. Whenever conditions require the assistance of troops from the Brigade to restore or to preserve order in any part of the Republic, you should direct the Brigade Commander to take the necessary steps to restore or preserve order in the specified part, or section of the country, and the Brigade Commander would then become responsible for the employment of the necessary troops and the requisite operations.

7. The military command of Policia Nacional units stationed in or assigned to parts of the country where the Brigade Commander has been directed to restore or preserve order would pass to the Brigade and the Brigade Commander would designate the officers to command mixed detachments of Policia and Marines.

8. However, in those parts of the country where he is responsible for orderly condition, the Brigade Commander should employ, wherever practicable, the attached Policia personnel for carrying on the regular peace duties assigned to it.

9. When the Policia Nacional shall have ceased to function under the Brigade Command, as outlined in paragraph four of this letter, a Policia agent would be detailed to the Brigade headquarters when any part of the Policia passes under the Brigade command, as provided in paragraph seven of this letter, to see that liaison is maintained between the respective headquarters.

10. The Governmental policy is, in so far as conditions permit, to keep the Second Brigade and all personnel attached thereto, separate from the personnel of the civil functions of the government, and to have these functions performed by the civil force.

11. The Major General Commandant has been directed to prepare and forward through you, a letter of instructions to the Commanding General of the Second Brigade, covering more in detail the latter’s duties as they are affected by the policy outlined in this letter to you.