839.00/2656
The Commissioner in the Dominican Republic (Welles) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 7.]
Sir: In accordance with the authorization contained in the Department’s telegram of October 19, 10 a.m. [October 20, 4 p.m.]48 it is my intention to leave Santo Domingo Friday, October 27th, and return directly to the United States by way of Haiti. The Military Governor, Admiral Robison, leaves the Capital today, and his place will be taken by Brigadier General Harry Lee, ranking officer of the United States Marine Corps in the Dominican Republic. General Lee has created a very favorable impression upon the Dominicans with whom he has been brought into contact, and I am inclined to think that his administration as Acting Military Governor during the life of the Provisional Government will be successful.
It is my purpose, before I leave for Washington, to obtain the formal approval of the members of the Commission and of the Provisional [Page 76] President to the project of the electoral law which the Commission has accepted in principle. Various details in the draft law are now being considered by a Commission of lawyers representing the various political parties and myself, and it is my belief that this final revision can be completed within the next three days. I have assured myself that the Acting Military Governor and the American Minister are provided with an official copy of the Plan of Evacuation, as well as with copies of all the supplementary agreements entered into by the members of the Commission and myself. I have further arranged that in the event of any disagreement resulting between the Provisional Government and the Military Government that the matter will be resolved by conference between the members of the Commission, the Acting Military Governor, and the American Minister. It is my belief that in this way unnecessary friction between the Military Government and the Provisional Government can be avoided.
As I informed the Department in my cable of October 19, 10 a.m.,49 the duties and obligations of the Provisional Government are clearly defined and are as clearly understood by both the members of the Commission and the members of the Provisional Government. The Provisional President is obligated to promulgate the election law within two weeks after he receives the project from the members of the Commission. He will thereafter promulgate the laws providing for the re-organization of the Provinces and Communes handed him by the members of the Commission, which projects have already been approved by me. The election law will therefore probably be promulgated before the end of November. The law will determine the extent of the period of registration, and this period, in my judgment, should be from forty-five to sixty days. The electoral period, as fixed by the present Constitution, will therefore not commence until the middle or end of the month of January, 1923. I do not anticipate the arising of any difficulties before that period. A realignment of political parties will, in my opinion, undoubtedly take place before that time, and such realignment will, I believe, lessen the possibility of political disturbances. While it is as yet impossible to assume with any certainty what that realignment will be, I consider it probable that the Partido Nacional, headed by General Vasquez, will effect a fusion with the Partido Progresista, headed by Señor Velasquez. If such fusion takes place, the candidates supported by those two parties will undoubtedly prove victorious in the general elections. The only hope for the Liberal Party to maintain its present strength lies in its securing the consent of Señor Peynado to run as Presidential candidate of that party. …
I have [etc.]