839.154/12–2644
The American Ambassador in the Dominican Republic (Briggs) to the Dominican Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Peña Battle)13
Excellency: With further reference to communication no. 15860 dated December 11, 1944 which the Embassy received via the Department [Page 210] of State for Foreign Affairs from the Director General of Public Works14 and to my note no. 207 of December 14, 1944, with regard to the completion of the International Highway, I have the honor, under instructions from my Government, to submit the following:
- 1.
- The negotiations which terminated in the agreement of June 27, 1944 had as their purpose the reaching of an arrangement which would result in the completion of the Cabral–Jimaní section of the International Highway at the earliest possible moment, and which would settle all outstanding matters in connection therewith. As will be recalled, the sum of $65,000 was agreed upon between the Embassy and the appropriate Dominican authorities as sufficient to complete the road to the mutual satisfaction of the United States and Dominican Governments, it being understood that the commitments of the United States Government were fully met thereby and that the only requisite remaining to be fulfilled on the part of the United States Government was the payment for the work completed on a monthly basis. Despite this understanding the Dominican authorities in September of this year suggested that apart from the $65,000 agreed to, a revolving fund be set up by the United States Government on which the Dominican Government would draw as work progressed. On November 11 the Director General of Public Works requested the Embassy’s assistance in obtaining ten trucks from the United States which would be used on the road and which would be paid for from the $65,000 mentioned above. Finally, in his communication of December 11, the Director General of Public Works requested that the amount of $65,000 be increased to approximately $117,000. All of these suggestions appear to be completely outside both the letter and the intent of the agreement of June 27, 1944. My Government is therefore unable to agree to the proposal of the Director General of Public Works that an additional amount of approximately $52,000 be made available for the completion of the road. As Your Excellency is undoubtedly aware, it was not able to agree to the other two suggestions for the same reason, namely that they were not within the terms of the agreement of June 27, 1944.
- 2.
- In view of the lengthy delays that have occurred, my Government has directed me to inquire whether the Dominican Government is prepared to proceed with the completion of the road within eight months from this date, allotting in the event that it should now consider the $65,000 to be insufficient, such additional funds of the Dominican Government as it may consider necessary or desirable.
- 3.
- Providing the Dominican Government is not prepared to accept the suggestions mentioned in paragraph no. 2, my Government would appreciate being relieved of its commitment, in order that the $65,000 which has been allotted for this purpose may be utilized elsewhere.
I believe that Your Excellency is fully aware that my Government has shown sincere and sustained interest in the completion of the Dominican section of the International Highway as a matter of mutual interest both in the period of war emergency and also in the postwar period. The failure of the Dominican authorities since June 27, 1944 [Page 211] to allot the necessary equipment and proceed with the prompt completion of the road is a matter of disappointment to my Government. However, I wish to assure Your Excellency that should the Dominican Government now be in a position to complete the highway in accordance with paragraph 2 above, it may rely upon the full cooperation of the Government in fulfilling the terms of the Agreement of June 27, 1944.
Please accept [etc.]