Mr. Hay to Mr. Powell.
Washington , February 17, 1904 .
San Domingo series.]
Sir: Referring to your telegram of the 9th, received on the 16th instant, in regard to the entrance of the United States commercial agency at Samana by the armed forces of the Morales government, and the capture of two political refugees from that agency, I inclose copy of a dispatch from the vice-commercial agent at Samanaa reporting that Mr. Charles Anderson had been forcibly taken by the military authorities from his agency, notwithstanding the protest made by Mr. Villain.
While the vice-commercial agent was perhaps overzealous he was probably justified, under the peculiar custom which prevails in the Dominican Republic, in extending shelter to the refugee. (See Foreign Relations, 1873, p. 473, for a somewhat similar case arising in Haiti.)
The authorities clearly went beyond their right in forcibly invading the office of the commercial agent and capturing the refugee.
You should therefore make proper representations in the case, which you will doubtless have already done, in accordance with the Department’s telegram of the 16th instant.
I am, etc.,
- Not printed.↩