839.154/12–1644: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Dominican Republic ( Briggs ) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 17—7:40 a.m.]
534. Supplementing my cable 533, December 16, 6 p.m., it would in my opinion be both futile and undignified for us to press the Dominican Government further for completion of the highway since to do so would constitute in effect our begging them to spend our money on a project in which on the record they have no interest. From every viewpoint seems desirable to insist that they state now whether they are prepared to complete the road within a specified (and according to Smyth reasonable) period, and if not for us to cancel the credit.
Dominican views in the premises are governed largely by their anti-Haitian bias which leads them to doubt desirability of having any (much less improving) communications with Port-au-Prince. Secondarily the section of Barahona Province between Cabral and Jimaní is an arid underpopulated and unproductive one with little possibility of agricultural development.