File No. 839.00/756.]
The American Minister to the Secretary of State.
Santo Domingo, December 13, 1912.
The message of the President of the United States to the Archbishop has been delivered according to instructions. The Archbishop requests me to send the following answer:
Accept this expression of my gratitude for Your Excellency’s message, received today. Like you, I hope that all good Dominicans will fulfill their [Page 379] patriotic duty to the Republic, which a long and cruel civil war has caused to suffer greatly. I must trust to the good faith of my fellow-citizens, who are well aware of the sentiment of the great American people, pioneers of liberty and justice, and of the desires of their Government.
The limit of my tenure will depend on circumstances, and it is my fixed intention to leave it as soon as the whole country is pacified.
In my name and that of the Dominican people receive, Mr. President, the expression of the most loyal recognition.
The Archbishop tells me that he intends to deal firmly with Horacio Vásquez, who will arrive here probably tomorrow, on the Nashville.
Congress has passed the bill authorizing a straight loan of $1,500,000, to be made by the President subject to the requirements of the Convention. The President is anxious to keep this money out of improper hands, and I suggest that our approval contain limitations whereby any part of the loan not expended by the Archbishop shall not be available for a government succeeding the Archbishop which is not constitutional and recognized by the United States; this would spoil the plans of the partisans of Horacio Vásquez, who fear the Archbishop may resign before the financial question is settled.