File No. 839.51/1763
Minister Russell to
the Secretary of State
No. 106
American Legation,
Santo Domingo,
June 24, 1916.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith
copies and translations of the answers to my two notes to the Council of
Ministers in regard to control of all the Dominican finances by the
General Receivership of Dominican Customs.
In this connection I have to advise the Department that the General
Receiver has appointed Mr. J. H. Edwards to the new post of Controller
and Disbursing Agent, and he takes charge on Monday. The control
commenced to be effective on the 16th of this month, and no difficulty
has been experienced so far in taking over the various branches of the
service in connection with this change.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure 1—Translation]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Minister Russell
No. 146
Department of State of Foreign
Relations,
Santo Domingo,
June 6, 1916.
Mr. Minister: I refer to your excellency’s
note of the 5th instant in which you inform me through the Council
of Ministers that the Government of the United States, by virtue of
the rights granted to it in Article III of the Dominican-American
Convention of 1907, will proceed at once to establish control of all
Dominican finances, giving provisional charge of that function to
the General Receiver of Dominican Customs.
[Page 252]
In my note No. 582, Book B, of December 8, 1915, in answer to your
excellency’s No. 14 of November 19 of the same year,12 I stated to your excellency that the
Dominican-American Convention does not grant, in Article III nor in
any other, the right to create American control of Dominican
revenues. This truth was recognized by the Government of the United
States when it agreed with a Commission sent by the Dominican
Government in suppressing the control which it established in the
latter part of the administration of President Bordas.13
The Council of Ministers considers, moreover, that matters of this
kind, foreign to administrative routine, should be postponed until
the Executive Power recovers its normal aspect in the Republic.
I avail [etc.]
[Inclosure 2—Translation]
The Council of
Ministers to Minister Russell
Council of Ministers of State Charged
with the Executive Power,
Santo Domingo,
June 16, 1916.
Mr. Minister: The Council of Ministers of
State acknowledges the receipt of your excellency’s communication
No. 64 of the 16th instant, and in reply expresses to you in the
most categorical manner its protest against the violation of law
implied by the notice your excellency transmits to it to the effect
that, beginning today, the General Receivership of Customs has taken
charge of the collection of all revenues of the Dominican
Government, customs as well as internal, and will begin today to act
as Disbursing Agent of the Republic in accordance with the
provisions of the current budget.
The Dominican-American Convention of February 1907 expresses clearly
the attributes which according to its terms belong to the two high
contracting parties, and from its provisions cannot be deduced in
any form whatever the right now attributed by the Government of the
United States to it as against the Dominican Republic.
The Council of Ministers reiterates in all its terms the note No. 146
of the Department of State of Foreign Relations, dated June 6, 1916,
and cannot close this note without expressing to the Minister of the
United States the painful surprise which his note No. 64 of to-day
has caused it.
With sentiments [etc.]
Jaime Mota
Secretary of Agriculture and Immigration, and
temporarily of Interior and Police
J. M. Jimenes
Secretary of Finance and Commerce and temporarily
of War and Marine
Federico Velasquez
Secretary of Fomento and Communications
B. Pichardo
Secretary of Foreign Relations, and temporarily of
Justice and Public Instruction
