File No. 839.00/885.
The Minister of the Dominican Republic to the Secretary of State.
Washington, September 20, 1913.
Mr. Secretary: The New York Herald, in its edition of the 17th instant, published a report that the steamship Seminole of the Clyde Company, disobeying the orders that Commander Ortori gave its Captain not to enter Puerto Plata because of the blockade that had been decreed and which the Dominican cruisers Independencia and Jacagua were rendering effective, entered the said port.
[Page 429]You will recall that the Department and this Legation had considered it unnecessary and even inexpedient to deprive the Seminole of entry into the blockaded ports, considering that she had left New York before the date of promulgation of the decree of blockade and that her entry would not cause much harm to the Dominican Government since it was certain that there were neither arms nor ammunition on board. But the commanders of the cruisers charged with making the blockade effective did not know of these circumstances, wherefore it is credible that if they did not use force to prevent the entry of the Seminole into Puerto Plata it was because they did not wish to act unpleasantly toward the North American Government which since the revolution began has showed that it had decided to aid the constitutional Government.
Therefore, and to avoid the repetition of similar acts which by disregarding the blockade would permit the introduction of contraband of war into the province in insurrection, and lest the ships charged with maintaining the blockade should fire on the merchant vessels that may fail to respect it, permit me to request of you, as one of the legitimate means offered by President Wilson “to assist the Government of President Bordas to reestablish order and prevent new insurrections,” that the commanders of American war ships now in Dominican waters and those that may go there later be directed to warn every captain of an American merchant ship that endeavors to break the blockade of his duty to respect it, and to warn all captains of foreign ships who seek to proceed in like manner that the Government of the United States has decided to respect the measure decreed on the 4th instant by President Bordas as essential to the reestablishment of peace in the Dominican Republic.
I avail [etc.]