Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1912

File No. 839.00/574.]

The American Minister to the Dominican Republic to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.—Paraphrase.]

American Legation,
Santo Domingo, May 8, 1912.

The Dominican Government has given me a memorandum to the following effect:

1. The friendly suggestions of the United States are thoroughly appreciated.

2. All who have, since the assassination of President Cáceres, rebelled in arms against the Constitutional Government have been granted the most ample and effective guaranties.

3. Exception to 2: the authors and accomplices of the assassination of the President.

4. These guaranties had been accepted by the leaders of the Moca revolution, who left the country thereupon; but they later returned and have been defeated.

5. The Government accepted the surrender of Toribio, who followed the Moca leaders, and he remained in the country.

6. The Government gave full guaranties to Morales, except trial by the courts, which is still pending.

7. Since all the acts of the Government have from the first been strictly legal, and since the courts are applying the laws with absolute independence, there is no charge which the revolutionists can bring against it.

8. The revolution was not a concerted movement but a number of conflicting uprisings; Moca was for Horacio Vásquez for President, Toribio for Limardo,¹ Desiderio Arias for Henriquez,² Morales³ for himself. The only unity of action was displayed by the electoral colleges, which elected Victoria.⁴ The various revolutionary movement were thus made impotent.

9. Horacio Vásquez was against the American-Dominican convention, which was the cause of his rebellion; but he has been overthrown.

10. Gives the political history of Henriquez.

11. Same as to Morales.

12. Same as to Limardo.

13. The present state of the revolution is as follows: Arias, routed, has been for more than a month in hiding and inactive; Rosilien, the principal author of the atrocious murder of the Dominican frontier guards, was permitted by the Haitian authorities to escape to Haiti, where he is now; Limardo is in Haiti; revolutionary forces near Dajabon routed; Vidal,⁵ one of the murderers of Cáceres, defeated and driven into Haiti; Sostilden forces routed.

The memorandum then goes on as follows:

The foregoing demonstrates that the Government is capable of maintaining order, thus complying with the mandates of the Constitution; it can do no more than give, as it has been giving, ample and effective guaranties, and faithfully execute them. To go further would set a precedent which, far from correcting the evil, would stimulate new conspiracies against established order. Nevertheless the Government will lose no opportunity to be magnanimous.

Reference to the foreigners Bancalari and Marin¹ come next, and the memorandum ends as follows:

All who have been guilty of exclusively political crimes have been given or will be given ample guaranties; the Dominican Government has complied with the guaranties given and will comply with those yet to be given. Taking as a basis for stability compliance with the law and really effective and independent application of the law by the courts, the Government’s patriotic aspiration is to establish a firm civil régime.

Russell.

1. General Ricardo Limardo.
2. Dr. Federico Henriguez y Carvajal.
3. Carlos F. Morales; ex-President; see For. Rel. 1911, pp. 171 and 173.
4. Eladio Victoria; see For. Rel. 1911, p. 175.
5. Luis Felipe Vidal.
1. Members of the revolutionary junta at New York.