839.00/2430a
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Navy (Denby)
Dear Mr. Secretary: My attention has been drawn to the telegram received by the Navy Department from Admiral Robison, dated July 18th, and numbered 1018.19 Admiral Robison recommends that there be issued in the United States by the State Department and in Santo Domingo by the Military Government, a Proclamation to the effect that the United States will only negotiate a Convention of Evacuation with plenipotentiaries duly selected by a National [Page 841] Dominican Congress elected in accordance with the existing Dominican Constitution and laws, and that notwithstanding the apparent intention of the people of Santo Domingo to refrain from voting in the proposed elections on account of their opposition to the terms of the Proclamation issued by the Military Governor on June 14, last, no change should be made in the said Proclamation.
This Department concurs, in general, in the recommendations of the Military Governor. I should therefore be glad if you would cause instructions to be sent by cable to the Military Governor to issue a proclamation “By instruction of the Government of the United States”, worded in such a way as to cause as little resentment as possible, to the effect that the procedure of evacuation outlined in the Proclamation of June 14, and the terms of the proposed Convention of Evacuation had been fully and carefully considered by the United States prior to the issuance of that Proclamation, and that the Government of the United States sees no reason to make any change in either.
In the event that the Military Governor has definite reason to believe that the Dominican people will not vote in the National elections if held upon the date indicated in the Proclamation of June 14, Admiral Robison should incorporate in the new Proclamation a statement to the effect that in view of the fact that the Military Governor is advised by the leaders of the various political parties and by the prominent Dominicans with whom he has been in consultation, that the proximity of the proposed date for holding the elections makes it impossible for the several political parties to organize and to select the candidates whom each would support in the elections, the date for holding the elections has been postponed. It appears to me desirable that such postponement should at present be indefinite.
I think that the issuance of this Proclamation in Santo Domingo by Admiral Robison will be sufficient and that there is no necessity for its issuance in the United States by this Department.
Believe me [etc.]
- Not printed.↩