439.11c Colom, Eduardo/33

The Secretary of State to the Minister in the Dominican Republic ( Schoenfeld )

No. 249

Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of your confidential despatch, No. 1531 of April 5, 1934, with which you enclose a copy of your note, No. 162 of April 4, 1934,27 to the Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs, in which you present to his Government a formal claim for the murder in the Dominican Republic of Eduardo Colom y Piris, an American citizen, in the sum of $5,000. The Department notes your statements as to the attitude of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time you discussed this case with him on April 4 last.

As you are aware, the purpose of demanding indemnity in this class of cases is not only that of recovering damages for the injured nationals, but also that of indirectly extending protection to other nationals by way of impressing upon the delinquent governments the seriousness of permitting to exist conditions which place in jeopardy the lives and fortunes of foreign nationals. From the standpoint of both of these objectives, it is desired that you keep this case before the attention of the Foreign Office in the sense of the instruction No. 241 of March 27, 1934, and that you press for a settlement thereof.

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:
Sumner Welles
  1. Note No. 162 not printed.