839.51/4420

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

No. 3413

Sir: Confirming my telegram No. 19 of today’s date,44 I have the honor to report, for the Department’s confidential information, that on July 11 last I had a conversation with President Trujillo at his office in the course of which he asked me, with reference to the note delivered by me under date May 18, 1936, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the interpretation of Article III of the Convention of December 27, 1924, to submit to him a statement of what I would consider a practical method for use by the Dominican Government in complying with the provisions of the Article of the Convention mentioned. I told the President that I would gladly comply with this request. He thereupon stated that he would set a day this week when I should visit him at his country estate near the town of San Cristobal, to discuss the matter at leisure.

This morning I had a visit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs who advised me that the President was precluded from going to his country estate during the current week but desired me to call on him at his office in the capital today. Accordingly, I visited President Trujillo at his office here this forenoon and upon his request handed him a copy of the enclosed formula, together with a copy of the enclosed unguaranteed translation into Spanish of the suggested formula, stating, as indicated in the documents, that the formula was [Page 451] suggested unofficially by me and was subject to the Department’s approval.

As reported in my telegram above-mentioned, President Trujillo said he would consult the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the subject and that he believed we would reach an agreement regarding the interpretation of Article III and the method of compliance therewith on the part of the Dominican Government, adding that such agreement, in his opinion, was necessary in the mutual interest of both governments.

Respectfully yours,

H. F. Arthur Schoenfeld
[Enclosure]

Formula Suggested Unofficially by the American Minister and Subject to the Approval of the Government of the United States

With a view to making clearer the practical meaning of Article III of the Convention of December 27, 1924, between the Government of the Dominican Republic and the Government of the United States of America, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, duly authorized, takes pleasure in stating to the American Minister that, by virtue of the said Article, the Dominican Government will communicate to the Government of the United States in advance the details of any financial obligation which the former may propose to incur looking to expenditures by the Dominican Government in excess of fiscal revenues receivable in any current fiscal year. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs desires to add that the Dominican Government will transmit the advice of such proposed obligation to the Government of the United States of America either through the American Legation in the Dominican Republic or through the Legation of the Dominican Republic accredited to the Government of the United States.

  1. Not printed.