File No. 838.51/468
[Untitled]
Port au Prince, January 20, 1916, 6 p.m.
My January 19, 6 p.m. In the conferences as to the modus operandi of disbandment of the palace guard and its replacement by members of the gendarmerie as the personal guard of the President, it was understood that this guard would be composed of picked members of the gendarmerie selected from all over the Republic, to be assigned permanently to this duty and that they would be given special insignias. These arrangements were matters of detail which it was considered were well within instructions and therefore not necessary to be referred to Washington. But in view of the fact that instructions to this effect have been telegraphed by the Haitian Government to its Commission it is strongly urged that the Department will agree thereto.