839.00/2499: Telegram
The Minister in the Dominican Republic (Russell) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 28—10:21 a.m.]
13. Military Governor and I had a conference with Federico Velasquez today. Speaking for himself as leader of [his] party and with reasonable assurance of cooperation of others, principally Horacio Vasquez party, [he] stated that when finances are in order as a result of loan and national police recruited to sufficient strength they will make proposition in regard to going to elections, either directly to the Government here or they will go to Washington for that purpose. They consider these two essentials, loan and national police, as absolutely necessary preliminaries to electing native government and they do not see how it is possible for the United States to evacuate this year. They will present proposed law of provinces and communes which they consider that Military Government should enact prior to disoccupation. Velasquez and Horacio Vasquez parties control country.