839.00/2609: Telegram
The Commissioner in the Dominican Republic (Welles) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:55 p.m.]
25. The members of the Commission have accepted, by a formal exchange of letters with me, all requirements concerning the forces of occupation requested by Admiral Robison not in direct violation of the plan of evacuation. Moreover they have agreed to certain arrangements not covered by the provisions of the plan since they believed in my assurance that the acceptance of these requirements would tend to insure the tranquility of the Republic during the life of the Provisional Government. They have shown, in my opinion, at all times a sincere desire to meet the requests which I have made although they have expressed regret that certain of the requirements demanded by Admiral Robison tended to, in their opinion, impair unnecessarily the prestige of the Provisional Government.
In agreeing to the requirements demanded by Admiral Robison regarding the right of the forces of occupation to maintain marine patrols of the three cities where the points of concentration are located and the right of American marines on liberty to visit freely all parts of these three cities, the members of the Commission requested that marines on liberty (not those performing their ordinary duties) by a confidential order from the proper authorities, be prevented from leaving their home camps to visit these cities on the day or days when elections were to be held during those hours when the elections were actually taking place. This request was made for two reasons:
- 1.
- Since the plan specifies that elections are to be held without the intervention of the American military authorities, the impression would probably be created if American marines are present in any number in these cities (which are the most important in the Republic) during election hours, and are at or near the polling booths, that the Military Government was observing the conduct of the elections and that this fact would influence the result thereof and would detract from the strength of the Provisional Government;
- 2.
- That since the said cities would be filled on election days with people from the surrounding districts and as a state of unusual excitement would probably prevail, friction between the American marines and the Dominicans would be far more probable than at any other time.
The request of the members of the Commission appears to me to be reasonable.
When I referred this request orally to Admiral Robison, he advised me that under no circumstances whatever would he agree to it. The [Page 65] only argument he advanced to support his refusal was the fact that “the request evidenced a dislike on the part of the members of the Commission for the forces of occupation” and that the acceptance of the request would be a confession by the United States that the marines, if present at elections, would be guilty of wrongdoing.
I have received subsequently a letter from Admiral Robison in which he stated that “all intimations on the part of the Commission, or any other responsible or irresponsible persons, that our physical presence anywhere embarrasses now or will embarrass them in the conduct of their government, have no real foundation and show a desire on their part not to meet us in our efforts to maintain good relations.” In my opinion, the purpose of the request of the members of the Commission is exactly the reverse of that stated by the Admiral and is due solely to their desire to prevent any occurrences which might create ill feeling and retard the reestablishment of good relations. The Admiral adds that he has modified his original categorical refusal to an order [for] marines on liberty on election days to keep away from polling booths and to order the marines to their quarters on such days if he himself should later deem it advisable.
Since the arrangement proposed by Admiral Robison is not satisfactory to me, I am forced to submit this matter for your consideration, with the hope that you may share my views. I am persuaded that the request of the members of the Commission is one to which our Government can agree, since the desired concession appears to me to be in our own interests and will undoubtedly, as well, strengthen the prestige of the Provisional Government and make more probable the complete success of the plan of evacuation.