738.3915/241
The Minister in the Dominican Republic (W. W. Russell) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 12.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 509 of May 18th, transmitting a copy of a despatch from the American High Commissioner in Haiti regarding difficulties in connection with the Santo Domingo-Haiti boundary line.
I am of the opinion that just at present it would be inadvisable to propose a resurvey of a portion of the line surveyed in 1901 in the district of the Laguna Salidilla. The Commission of Dominican Representatives has taken up the boundary question for the purpose of making a report to the Provisional President recommending immediate negotiations with Haiti for a definite settlement of the question. The chiefs of the three political parties have named representatives to go into the matter thoroughly and make a report to the Commission.
[Page 359]The following appeared in the press of the 26th instant; and I have ascertained that the information was given out for publication by the Ministry of Foreign Relations:
“From an official source we have been informed that Lie. Angel Morales, Secretary of State for Foreign Relations, had an interview at Dajabón last Thursday with Lie. Félix Magloire, Minister of Foreign Relations of the Republic of Haiti, on the invitation of this latter high functionary. There were likewise present at the meeting: General Charles Zamor, General McDougal, Chief of the Haitian Gendarmerie, and General Harrington. Lie. Morales was accompanied by Major Lora, Chief of the Department of the North of the P. N. D.
“The matter under discussion was the last frontier incident and the measures that ought to be adopted to avoid the repetition of such occurrences. Likewise there was discussion of the Law of Immigration and the modus vivendi which existed before said law was put into force in order not to hinder those living in the neighborhood of the frontier in their daily travelling to and fro in those districts and in order not to confound such travellers with those day-laborers who cross the frontier with the intention of establishing themselves in this Republic. Moreover, there was a mutual accord on the proposition to approach the Department of Public Works of each country on the subject of the construction of an international bridge over the Massacre River.
“The greatest cordiality prevailed at the interview, the participants binding themselves to work frankly and decidedly to the end that practical measures may be established to avoid the repetition of vexatious incidents, until such time as the problem may be definitely settled.” (ex Listin Diario, Santo Domingo.)
I have [etc.]