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Warren G. Harding and The Dominican Republic U.S. Withdrawal, 1921-1923

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Kenneth J. Grieb
Kenneth J. Grieb*
Affiliation:
Department of History, Wisconsin State University, Oshkosh
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Extract

When it assumed office in 1921 the Harding administration found itself confronted with the problem of arranging the withdrawal of American troops from the Dominican Republic. Terminating the American presence in that country was part of the administration's policy of improving relations with Latin America, and both Warren G. Harding and Charles Evans Hughes were strongly committed to this goal. They believed that abandoning armed intervention in favor of advice and counsel would foster good will in Latin America and ultimately benefit the United States by enabling it to garner the trade and support of the region. The president and secretary of state also contended that such a policy could stabilize the area and thereby render the military interventions of the past unnecessary. Thus withdrawal from the Dominican Republic was part of a larger policy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Inter-American Studies , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , July 1969 , pp. 425 - 440
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 1969

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References

1 Welles, Sumner, Naboth's Vineyard: The Dominican Republic, 1844-1924 (New York, 1928), pp. 836-39Google Scholar, quoting Hughes and Harding. Hughes’ later statement was part of an address to the American bar association, August 30, 1923, as American troops were leaving the island: Hughes, Charles Evans, The Pathway of Peace, (New York, 1925), p. 131 Google Scholar.

2 The New York Times, May 25, 1921, 3:5; and Welles, Naboth's Vineyard, p. 840.

3 Rudolph K. Hynicka to Charles E. Hard (executive appointment clerk), March 17, 1921; Harding to Julius Fleischmann, December 9, 1920; Major A. B. Critchfield to George Christian (presidential secretary), June 12, 1921; Carmi A. Thompson (Republican Party treasurer in Ohio) to Christian, August 16, 1921; Harding to Critchfield, November 28, 1921; and Harding to Ira Bennett (Washington Post), August 15, 1921; all in Papers of Warren G. Harding, Ohio State Historical Society, Box 57.

4 Sumner Welles (chief, State Department Latin American Division) to Hughes, May 28, 1921, United States State Department Papers, National Archives, Record Group 59, 839.51/2286, and June 1, 839.51/2205. Hereafter, State Department papers from Record Group 59 will be cited by number only. Senator Horace G. Knowles to Christian, June 2, 1921, and June 15, and Ira Bennett (Washington Post) to Harding, August 12, all Harding Papers, Box 57.

5 Thompson to Christian, August 16, 1921, and Christian to Thompson, August 18, Harding Papers, Box 57.

6 Harding to Bennett, August 15, 1921, Harding Papers, Box 57; and New York Times, November 16, 1921, 40:4. Harding offered Critchfield and Hylan other positions of lesser importance, suggesting that the former become deputy collector of customs in the Dominican Republic, so that he could “learn the language and the work,” and notifying Fleischmann that: “The appointment of Mr. Hylan was quite out of the question.” Harding to Critchfield November 28, 1921, and Harding to Fleischmann, May 30 and June 4, all Harding Papers, Box 57.

7 Welles, , Naboth's Vineyard, p. 838; New York Times Google Scholar, April 13, 1921, 21:1; and Hughes to Harding, May 25, 1921, Harding Papers, Box 260. On Knowles’ activities: William W. Russell (United States minister, Santo Domingo) to Bainbridge Colby, February 8, 1921, 839.00/2319; Knowles to Senator George H. Moses, April 30, 1921, Harding Papers, Box 261; Welles to Hughes, August 19, 1921, 839.00/2490, and August 27, 839.00/2471; New York Times, December 30, 1921, 27:1, Knowles to Christian, January 22, 1922, Harding Papers, Box 261; and New York Times, February 17, 1922, 3:2, July 13, 11:2, and August 15, 2:6.

8 New York Times, May 2, 1922, 2:7 for Borah's speech; Knowles to Senator George H. Moses, April 30,1921, Harding Papers, Box 261, suggesting the investigation; and New York Times, July 28, 1921, 12:7, December 27, 3:3, and June 27, 1922, 19:3.

9 Russell to Hughes, June 14, 1921, 839.00/2399; and New York Times, June 15, 1921,2:2.

10 New York Times, June 19, 1921, I, 12:1, and June 21, 3:2; Russell to Hughes, June 20, 839.00/2404, June 23, 839.00/2416, July 5, 839.00/2427, and July 11, 839.00/2435; and Louis E. Lavandier to Christian, July 25, Harding Papers, Box 260.

11 Welles, op. cit., pp. 846-49. For an earlier Dominican statement indicating the Dominican position, New York Times, June 6, 1921, 3:1, quoting a press statement by Dr. Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal.

12 Russell to Hughes, July 16, 1921, 839.00/2436, and July 17, 839.00/2437.

13 New York Times, June 29, 1921, 14:8.Google Scholar

14 Russell to Hughes, July 28, 1921, 839.00/2440.

15 Russell to Hughes, May 12, 1921. 839.51/2187.

16 Robison to Edwin Denby (secretary of the navy), December 30, 1921, United States Navy Department Records, National Archives, Record Group 38, Records of the Military Government of Santo Domingo, Series 9, (hereafter cited as Navy, RG 38).

17 Hughes to Russell, December 14, 1921, United States State Department Records, National Archives, Record Group 59, 123R911/122, and Hughes to Harding, February 2,1922, Harding Papers, Box 260.

18 Hughes to Harding, February 2, 1922, and Harding to Hughes, February 6, Harding Papers, Box 260, and Hughes to Russell, February 10, 1922, 839.00/2462.

19 Russell to Hughes, March 5, 1922, 839.00/2497, and Hughes to Harding, March 30, Harding Papers, Box 260.

20 Russell to Hughes, March 7, 1922, 839.00/2496, for Robison's proclamation. For the loan decision, Hughes to Harding, March 30, 1922, Hughes to Denby, March 25, and Harding to Hughes, March 30, Harding Papers, Box 260.

21 Welles, Naboth's Vineyard, pp. 854-55; Memorandum signed June 30, 1922 by Vázquez, Velazquez, Brache, and Peynado, 839.00/2682; Francis White (chief, State Department Latin American Division) to Dominican representatives, July 3, 839.00/2684; and White to Welles, July 6, 839.00/2682c.

22 White to Welles, July 6,1922, 839.00/2682c.

23 For Dominican newspaper response, see Navy, RG 38, Series 9, July 15, 1922; Russell to Hughes, July 18, 839.00/2563, and July 20, 839.00/2544; Welles to Hughes, July 31, 839.00/2551, August 1, 839.00/2552 and /2553, August 13, 839.00/2575, August 7, 839.00/2561 and August 14, 839.00/2567; and Russell to Hughes, August 14, 839.00/2585.

24 Hughes to Welles, August 9, 1922, 839.00/2561.

25 Welles to Robison, August 1, 1922, and Robison to Welles, August 6, Navy, RG 38, Series 9; and Welles to Hughes, August 9, 839.00/2564.

26 Welles to Robison, August 1, 1922, Navy, RG 38, Series 9.

27 Welles to Robison, August 1,1922, Navy RG 38, Series 9; Welles to Hughes, August 9, 839.00/2564; and Russell to Hughes, August 9, 839.00/2565.

28 Hughes to Welles, August 14, 1922, 839.00/2566, August 11, 839.00/2564. and August 17, 839.00/2982.

29 Welles to Hughes, August 29, 1922, 839.00/2591, September 5, 839.00 /2983, September 20, 839.00/2598, and September 21, 839.00/2611.

30 Welles to Robison, September 9, 1922, Brig. General Harry Lee, Memorandum, September 11, and Robison to Welles, September 13, Navy, RG 38, Series 9.

31 Welles to Hughes, September 26, 1922, 839.00/2605, and October 2, 839.00 /2610; and Welles, Naboth's Vineyard, pp. 873-75.

32 Welles to Hughes, October 2, 1922, 839.00/2609; Hughes to Welles, October 4, 839.00/2611d; Welles to Hughes, October 9, 839.00/2614; and Welles, Naboth's Vineyard, p. 872.

33 Washington Post, October 21, 1922, 1:4; New York Times, October 25, 4:3; Hughes to Welles, October 20, 839.00/2631; and Welles to Hughes, October 26, 839.00/2641.

34 Hughes to Harding, June 2, 1923, Harding Papers, Box 260; Juan Bautista Vicini Burgos to Harding, October 30, 1922, 839.00/2648; and Welles, Naboth's Vineyard, pp. 885-88.

35 Undated Memorandum by Welles, Hughes to Harding, June 2, 1923, and Harding to Hughes, June 2, 1923, Harding Papers, Box 260.

36 Pulliam to Christian, January 22, 1923, and Harding to Pulliam, February 7. 1923, Harding Papers, Box 57.