Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

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President Philippe Sudre Dartiguenave (seated at center)
with ministers and bodyguards
Courtesy National Archives
marines dissolved congress and resubmitted the draft to a
closely monitored national plebiscite, which accepted it almost
unanimously. The authorship of this constitution is still
debated. Some argue that the author was the young assistant
secretary of the navy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The 1918 constitution included a novel provision for Haiti
white foreigners would be permitted to own land. Many North
American companies took advantage of this opportunity to
lease large tracts of Haitian land.
During the nineteen-year occupation, the marines undertook
numerous initiatives under the presidencies of Philippe
Sudre Dartiguenave (1915-22) and Louis Borno (1922-30).
They attempted to improve the country's infrastructure by
building roads, bridges, wharves, lighthouses, and irrigation
systems. They tried to improve health conditions by upgrading
the sanitation system and providing clean water. They brought
in United States physicians to create a public health program
that included the establishment of hospitals, clinics, and training
schools for doctors and nurses and mounted campaigns
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