840.48 Refugees/2041
The Chargé in the Dominican Republic (Hinkle) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 20.]
Sir: I have the honor to report the arrival in Ciudad Trujillo on January 16 of Mr. James N. Rosenberg of the Dominican Republic Settlement Association, Inc., accompanied by Messrs. Robert T. Pell and Stephen V. C. Morris, of the Department, for the purpose of signing a contract with the Dominican Government on behalf of the Association to settle Jewish and non-Jewish refugees. Mr. Pell, Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs, is acting as personal representative of the Chairman of the American Delegation to the Intergovernmental Committee, while Mr. Morris is representative of Lord Winterton34 and the Inter-governmental Committee.
Mr. Rosenberg was also accompanied by his assistant Mr. Harold Linder, his secretary, Mr. Clancey, while three agronomists and electrical experts, Dr. Rosen, Dr. Pearlstein and Mr. Trone, were already here awaiting his arrival. Señor Carlos Dávila, former President of Chile, and now adviser and publicity agent to General Trujillo,35 is expected to join the group tomorrow, while a free lance journalist, Mr. George Abel, arrived on the same boat with the group.
Mr. Rosenberg and his group have been put up as guests of General Trujillo who has already had several cordial interviews with them regarding the settlement project. He has informed Mr. Rosenberg that he wishes to give to the Association the tract of land he owns near Sosúa36 of 25,000 acres, while the Government is willing to give an option on some 300,000 tareas of land adjoining Sosúa at the rate of about forty cents a tarea. Mr. Rosenberg regards this offer as distinctly favorable and has already given the General a tentative draft of the contract between the Association and the Dominican Government. The tenor of this contract is to allow the Association to settle permanently the land it acquires with several hundred refugees looking toward further expansion should the project work out, the settlers to be maintained and administered by the Association and later assume Dominican citizenship.
[Page 209]Mr. Rosenberg states that General Trujillo in his conversations seems to have the idea of creating an agricultural bank, apparently hoping this might not only take care of certain Government funds but also act as a banking house for the refugees.
Mr. Rosenberg and his group expect to spend the weekend looking over the Sosúa and other properties and to conclude the contract shortly with the Dominican Government. Meanwhile they are the object of considerable entertainment and hospitality on the part of the Dominicans.
Respectfully yours,