840.48 Refugees/1039
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in the Dominican Republic (Hinkle)
Sir: The President’s Advisory Committee on Political Refugees has requested Mr. Alfred Houston to visit the Dominican Republic to study the possibilities of settlement there, and he will call upon you in the near future.
As you are no doubt aware, the problem of finding concrete opportunities for large scale settlement of political refugees is an exceedingly difficult one. The Department understands the Legation’s views concerning the possibilities of settlement in the Dominican Republic and the reasons for those views, but the expressed attitude of the Dominican Government is more favorable than that expressed by any other Government in this hemisphere. While the figures mentioned by the Dominican representative at London are exceedingly large, it is believed that the attitude of the Dominican Government may make possible the settlement in its territory of very substantial numbers of refugees.
The purpose of Mr. Houston’s trip is to investigate the practical aspects of settlement in the Dominican Republic and particularly to seek an understanding with General Trujillo concerning the treatment to be accorded refugees after they have reached the Dominican Republic. I know that you will do everything in your power to facilitate the success of Mr. Houston’s mission.
Very truly yours,