Marines of 2nd Regiment, First Brigade,
forming up in front of the Presidential Palace in Port au Prince
preparatory to presenting colors to President Borno, who, attended by his party,
will shortly be arriving in his open automobile.
circa 1925-26
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The following document, consisiting of three pages of
single-spaced typescript, was a handout distributed to
Marine Corps officers to assist them in making adequate
arrangements for duty in Haiti. The document dates probably
sometime from the 1920s, though the dating is conjectural.
Special thanks to Sgt. Scott D. Smith, USMC who provided a
copy of the document, the original of which was found
among the effects of a Marine Corps veteran of the Haitian
campaign.
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INFORMATION FOR OFFICERS UNDER ORDERS TO HAITI
TRAVEL TO.... In addition to the Navy transport service the principle steamship lines to Port-au-Prince and Campe Haiti are the Panama R.R.S.S. Co., 24 State Street, dock at foot W. 26th Street, New York, and the Royal Dutch Mail S.C. C., 25 Broadway, dock at Pier 12, East River, Brooklyn, a few blocks south of Brooklyn Bridge. On orders via Panama Line, officers receive transportation and subsistence and official letter from M.G.C., will secure half rate of $30 for dependent adults and $15 for dependent children under twelve. Traveling by the Dutch Line, an official letter will secure reduced rate of $60 for adults and $30 for children under 12. The Panama Line runs direct to Paup in five days. The Dutch Line runs to Paup either direct in six days, or via Cape Haitien in 8 days. Official orders, and letters for family traveling without officer, should receive visa by Haitien Consul General, Broad St., NYC.
HOTELS....... Arrivals should radio before reaching port if they desire accomodations preparatory to occupying house. It is extremely adviseable to communicate with friends as earlly as possible in regard to securing house as choice at times is much restricted, and always so at Cape Haitien. Best hotels in PauP are Pension Morin, Mountain House and American Hotel. Average rates $3 per day per person.
HOUSES........ Bungalows average $40 and houses $60 to $100 per month. Houses taken on yearly lease can easily be disposed of. Most rent monthly. Three months' notice to tenant required by Haitien law before he need vacate. Usually comfortable but need repairs. Owners will rarely make repairs, except of emergency nature, but will consent to tenant making repairs and reducing monthly payment to cover it. Practically all have bassins or outdoor swimming pools with fresh, cold water; also garages, stall for mounts, outside quarters for servants. Few have inside bath or toilet but lack of water pressure above ground floor makes their possesion of dubious value.
SERVANTS........ Usual menage includes cook, laundress, maid and yard boy. Wages should not exceed $8 for cook, and $6 to $5 monthly for other. They receive in addition allowance monthly for food of $3 each, and buy and prepare own food. Laundry work on premises and usually very well done. Difficult, buecause of custom and caste traditions, to do with less than four. Butler receives $8 to $10 and speaks English. Yard boy cleans yard, lower floor, oils floors, clean autos and run errands. Usually petty thierves but pilfering is trifling unless money or jewelry is left carelessly around.
FURNITURE..... Do not bring rugs, curtains, little if any furniture or framed picture. Bring china, glass ware, table linen to limited amount, and silver. Furniture, especially wicker, too liable to breakageon trip. Ants attack glue in backs of framed pictures and binding of good books.
Use of floor oil daily protects floors, all of hardwood. Q.M.D. sells mattresses, pillows, iron bunks, moosquito nets, buckets, enamelled ware etc., but usually not new issue. Will issue necessary articles on memo., receipt to officers arriving in advance of household goods until latter arrive. Haitien furniture reasonable and comparatively cheap and satisfactory. Day beds $6 to $8. All of above are of native mahogany. Other mahogany furniture can be had but involves careful search and patience. Wicker seated chairs suitable for porches, living and dining rooms from $1 to $2. Native baskets for laundry hampers, hanging plants, etc., and native matting very cheap. Daily radio news carries frequent notices of house-hold furniture etc., for sale at reasonable rates by detached officers. Ice boxes, wardrobes, chairs etc., also make at Gendarmerie prison.
FOOD..... Cooks purchase vegetables, fruit, eggs, poultry, fish and native meat three times weekly at much better rates than housekeepers can get. Native meat fairly good but restricted choice. Brigade Commissary has good stock canned and staple articles and excellent bakery. Local stores handle American fruit and butter and French stores an excellent range of delicatessen. Care should be had that fish and lobsters are fresh. Fish should show pink gills, showing that they are freshly caught, and test for lobsters is to make them walk. Native boats seafood in daily. Ice is delivered daily by Brigade.
AUTOMOBILES...... Four garages that handle Packard, Willys-Knight, Buick, Dodge, Chevrolet, Star and Ford, and give service. Automobiles brought down by officers admitted free of duty. Those bought here pay 28% duty. Officers detached must pay duty cost if they sell car to anyone not a member of Occupation. Depot Q.M. and Gendarmerie Q.M. carry Dodge and Ford parts and Dodge and Ford tires and tubes, and the 31-4 tire used by new Buick-4. Ford well-adapted for shore trips but handicapped on steep grades of interior and must be backed up hills unless tank is kept filled. Gas and oil supplied by Brigade at contract prices, half that charged outside. A car is practically a necessity due to distances and hot sun. Local carriages are cheap of hire but slow and not always available. Officers detached usually sell cars at considerable reduction and good market.
HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES..... Average household can be run from $225 to $300 monthly including rent, servants, all food, ice, electric light and incidentals.
BATCHELOR MESSES....... No general batchelor mess in PauP as capacity of houses limits them to four of five persons. With good management a mess can be run at total expense not exceeding $75 per member.
NEWS~MAIL~CABLE~PARCEL POST....... Brigade issues daily radio sheet of Arlington service. Haitien newspapers, printed in French, carry leading European cable news. Mail leaves and arrives at ten day intervals by Panama Line, up-going mail two days later than in-coming. Occasional mail between these periods by Dutch and Clyde Lines, none via transport. French Cable $ .60 per word. Navy radio at no cost for transmission personal messages to Arlington, and usual land telegraph rates from there to destination. Parcel Post is much used. Advisableto bring Sears Roebuck or similar mail-order house catalogue.
POST EXCHANGE...... Handle good variety candies, canned milk, toilet articles, tobacco, periodicals, sewing material, hair-nets, kodaks and films, khaki and drill cloth, sun glasses, Klim, soft drinks, bathing suits, tennis rackets and golf supplies, American Club supplies, tennis balls.
SCHOOL...... American School has two excellent teachers and children acan be kept will apace studies. Begins abouty Sept.1 and closes late in May. Hours 8.30 to 12.30 with half hour recess. Rates $12 per month. French $5 per month extra, or French can be had in afternoons at French Sisters' School.
CHURCH...... Sunday morning services and Sunday School at Barracks PauP. Catholic churches~~ the State religion. Episcopal Church in PauP.
LANGUAGE....... French is official and used by educated Haitiens. Servant and peasants talk Creole which has little resemblance, but it is elementary and sufficient knowledge can be readily mastered to deal with servants. Many opportunities to acquire French.
RECREATIONS..... American Club has building in town, with dance facilities and dances fortnightly, three dirt tennis courts and library. Also annex at Cote Plage, four miles distant, with bathing beach, raft, dressing rooms and tea served Sundays. Port-au-Prince Golf Club has course of six holes, sand greens, on Aviation Field, being extended to nine holes. Horses and ponies can be bought for $30 to $40 and cheaply maintained, or mounts can be had daily free from Corral. Many good riding trails. Fairly good shotting according to seasons within easy reach by automobile. Guinee hen, duck, snipe, pigeon. Shot guns should be brought down. Good stock 12 gauge shells at Post Ex. Motion Pictures at barracks five nights weekly.
UNIFORMS.......... Khaki drill (English) and white drill on sale at Post Exchange and Gendarmerie. Uniforms, with officers furnishing goods, $6, q;uite well made by native tailors. Post Excange has just added supply Khaki and white caps and carries ornaments, buttons, hat cords. White shoes should be brought from States. Also handle Sam Brown belts. Officxers should bring swords, dress knots and dress slings and few pairs white cotton gloves. Not needed except on limited occasions but are a necessity. Officers ordered to Gendarmarie duty can buy khaki uniforms and helmets and shirts here. They wear some white uniforms as Brigade. Advisable bring one uniform winterfield and cap in case they go North on leave or duty in the winter or fall.
WOMEN'S DRESS...... All articles of women's dress suitable for the tropics can be purchased in PauP at same or lower prices than in U.S., although the variety in some cases is lacking. The one exception is shoes as the shoes here of all kinds made on unsatisfactory last and prices are high. Dresses, lingerie and table linen can be made up well at very reasonable rates by local dressmakers. Perfumes are cdheaper than in the States and are also handled by the Post Exchange as well as hair-nets.
CHILDREN'S DRESS..... Boys wear khaki shorts, khaki shirting and leather sandals and sneakers. The khaki and white drill are on sale at the Post Exchange and Gendarmerie and can be make up at $ .50 to $1.00 when material and buttons and thread are funished. Sandals and sneakers are hard to get and expensive and should be brought. Caps are also hard to get. Girls' clothes can be had here.
MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE.... The Brigade facilites are excellent. The Field Hospital is completing a building for women and children. There is an excellent specialist in eye, ear, and nose and throat at General Hospital.
SANITARY PRECAUTIONS..... Malaria is rapidly decreasing but use of mosquito nets at night advasable. Few insect pests besides ants and cockroaches. Flies not a factor. Few tarantulas and scorpions and bites comparatively harmless. All water must be boiled, also fresh vegetables and salads. Sun glasses necessary because of glare. Hottest period from 10 to 2. Nights cool. Hottest months begin May and end September. October to May much cooler and shorter days bring relief from glare so that longer nights and winds make that period very comfortable.
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