839.51/4491
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Minister of Santo Domingo, accompanied by the Dominican Minister to London, Dr. Enrique [Henríquez] Ureña, came in and handed me the attached note from their government.9
I thanked the two gentlemen for calling and for the note and assured them that I would examine it with interest and care and give it the fullest consideration. I repeated what so many times Mr. Welles10 and I have said to them that our Government is very desirous of clearing up every undesirable condition existing between this Government and every government in Latin America; that I earnestly hoped that the Government of Santo Domingo would be able to meet us half way in this righteous undertaking; and that this Government, if possible, is even more anxious than the Government of Santo Domingo to get this undertaking accomplished. I added that, of course, if we should fail to carry out our trusteeship for American bondholders, which was assumed by a predecessor of mine, the United States Senate would not ratify the agreement, and it would go for naught. I elaborated somewhat upon the foregoing lines of conversation. They exhibited a thoroughly agreeable and sympathetic attitude.