839.00/2296: Telegram
The Minister in the Dominican Republic ( Russell ) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received January 16—8 a.m.]
3. Your January 8, 1 p.m. The five Dominicans were approached first because they were in the city and they stated that they would give their answer to the Military Governor at the palace next morning. Their declining to serve was not due in any way to the nonacceptance by the Military Government officer of the conditions they had made. The former Advisory Council said that as they had promised when they resigned to assist whenever called upon they felt it their duty to respond now. Archbishop told me that the conditions were made in order to give them excuse for declining as the press had become very abusive and they wanted to see how the people were, going to take it. The national committee president Emiliano Tejera attacked the five in the press and the five defended themselves vigorously in a joint publication. I think that seven for the commission will be just as effective as nine. Two of the five have stated that they positively will not serve on any commission with Mario Fermín Cabral and I think that if it is contemplated to have representative of Desiderio Arias6 some one other than Cabral should be appointed. The five have promised something definite by tomorrow.
- Dominican Secretary of War in 1016, under President Jiménez.↩