It is requested that the enclosed correspondence be returned when it
has served its purpose.
[Enclosure]
The Military Governor of Santo Domingo
(Snowden) to the Secretary
of the Navy (Daniels)
Santo Domingo, 14 January, 1920.
1994–19 (2) L–FF
Subject: Action in Matters of International
Policy—Haiti-Santo Domingo Boundary Line
1. The undersigned regrets exceedingly that any confusion should
have arisen over the settlement of this important question and
there is forwarded herewith all correspondence relating thereto
(Enclosures (1)–(5) Inc.), with the request that it be referred
to the State Department.
2. The history of this matter is as follows:
On July 5, 1919, the undersigned made certain overtures to the
President of Haiti in regard to the settlement of the
Dominican-Haitian boundary line, proposing that the Governments
of Haiti and the Dominican Republic appoint a commission to
delimit the proper boundary between Haiti and the Dominican
Republic, the United States Government being asked to appoint
the fifth member of this commission and thus prepare a treaty
between the two governments
[Page 300]
for ratification by the proper authorities
thereof. Report was made of this action to the Secretary of the
Navy and the approval of the State Department of the steps taken
was received in a letter from the Secretary of the Navy of
August 5, 1919 (Ref. a) included herewith
(Encl. 2).45 However,
after further study of this matter, and in view of the
information brought to light by a report of the Secretary of the
Department of Foreign Relations of the Dominican Republic, it
was decided that a better solution of this problem will result
in its submission to the Pope for arbitration, as this procedure
had been previously authorized by the Congress of the Republic
based upon approval of the voters of the country, as expressed
in a Plebiscite in the year 1895 and that it was submitted to
the Pope, but was not settled at that time on account of lack of
power being given him. In Reference (b)46 the Military Governor set forth
the result of his study in this matter and enclosed a copy of
the proposed letter to the Haitian Minister outlining this new
proposition. To this letter no reply was received from the
Secretary of the Navy or the State Department and it was assumed
that the action of the Military Governor in attempting to settle
this question had been previously approved by the State
Department in Ref. (a).
3. It is considered that the settlement of this boundary line at
this time is a matter of paramount importance to the future
welfare of both countries concerned, and that the last method of
procedure, submission to the Pope, is preferable. Therefore, the
approval of the State Department is again requested and also the
good offices of the American Minister in Haiti be used to have
the Haitian Government accept the proposal of the Dominican
Republic.
