Minister Dawson to the Secretary of State.

No. 133.]

Sir: I have the honor to confirm your telegram of April 16, as follows:

Washington, April 16, 1905.

Dawson, Minister, Santo Domingo:

Our minister to Haiti cables that unless Haitian Government gives those Syrians who have claimed to be Dominican citizens permission to do business the Dominican minister asserts that he will close his legation, and all Haitians will be expelled from Dominican Republic. Has Dominican minister such instructions? There should be no complications between the two island Republics.

Loomis.

and to say that I immediately called upon the minister of foreign affairs, and found that he was at that moment in conference with Mr. Borno, the Haitian minister. He gave me a private interview at once, and promised me that he would do everything possible to avoid a rupture, explaining the real situation, which, it appeared from his statement, was not yet acute and hardly likely to become so. All that the Dominican Government desired was not to be publicly humiliated by being subjected to treatment different from that accorded stronger powers. He said that he had just been discussing with Mr. Borno the effect on the status of Syrians naturalized as Dominicans of the treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation negotiated between the two Republics many years ago. There was some question as to whether it was still in vigor, but he assured me that his discussion with Mr. Borno would be conducted amicably and would be confined to the legal features of the matter.

Accordingly I telegraphed you as follows:

Santo Domingo, April 17, 1905.

Secretary of State, Washington:

No such instructions have been sent Dominican minister to Port au Prince. Haitain minister to Santo Domingo now in consultation with Dominican Government, who asks for the same treatment for Dominican Syrians as that accorded other Syrians who are foreign citizens. Dominican Government anxious to avoid a rupture.

Dawson.

For several days I narrowly watched for further developments, but none appeared. Subsequently I learned that the nephew of the Dominican minister to Haiti had been sent to Port au Prince bearing detailed instructions for his uncle.

I have, etc.,

T. C. Dawson.