No. 963.
Mr. Thompson to Mr. Bayard.
Port au Prince, Hayti, January 30, 1888.
(Received February 9.)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt on the 28th instant of dispatch No. 17, Santo Domingo series, wherein it states that the honorable Secretary of the Navy has instructed the commander-in-chief of the United States naval force on the North Atlantic station, if practicable, to place a vessel at my disposal in order to proceed to Santo Domingo and there urge in person the claim of Mr. C. E. Frary. I am of the opinion now that such is the only way of reaching any result with the Dominican Government, for such Government appears to give no attention whatever to our representations. The secretary of state of Santo Domingo does not even acknowledge receipt of dispatches. 1 have recalled to his attention by dispatches and duplicate dispatches several times the claims of Mr. Frary and of Mr. Arteaga, but receive no reply whatever. The principal object of this dispatch, in view of the probability of a visit to Santo Domingo, is to request instructions of such a nature that will possibly enable me to arrange the affairs now pending. Mr. Frary makes a claim for $25,000; Mr. Arteaga claims for $26,000. I am animated with a desire to end in their favor if possible, all of these disagreeable affairs so patent of wrong to our citizens, and while anxious to carry out loyally to the letter every instruction received from the Department, in view of the gravity that may arise by further refusal to acknowledge the tort and settle the affair, wish to follow that course of action that your superior judgment can point out to me.
I have, etc.,