731.39/12–2347
The Acting Secretary of State to Diplomatic Representatives in the American Republics
Venezuelan-Dominican Relations
Sirs: For your information there is enclosed a copy of a letter, together with copies of its enclosures, dated December 4, 1947,1 which was sent on December 5 by the Venezuelan Representative on the Governing Board of the Pan American Union, who is also Venezuelan Ambassador in Washington, to the Representatives of other countries on the Governing Board with the exception of Representatives of Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic with which Venezuela does not maintain diplomatic relations.
You will note that the letter denies charges made last month by the Dominican Ambassador in Washington to the effect that a force is being concentrated on the Paraguaná Peninsula for an attempted invasion of the Dominican Republic, refers to a reported sale of arms; by Brazil to the Dominican Republic,2 and mentions various actions by the authorities of the Dominican Republic which the Venezuelan Government considers menacing.
Without doubt those Representatives on the Governing Board of the Union who received this communication will refer it to their Governments and ask instructions. You are requested to inform the Department of any information which comes to your attention regarding the nature of the instructions on this subject sent to the Representative on the Governing Board of the country to which you are accredited.
The Representative of the United States on the Governing Board3 in acknowledging receipt of the communication in question has informed [Page 154] the Venezuelan Ambassador that he has referred it to the Department. He is being instructed to keep the Department informed of the reactions of his colleagues on the Board to this Venezuelan initiative, and to support any move by the Venezuelan Representative to have the Governing Board take cognizance of the matter and initiate action aimed at eliminating the mutually suspicious feeling which recently has characterized the attitudes of the Venezuelan and Dominican Governments towards each other.
Very truly yours,
- Not printed; but see a memorandum of conversation by the Chief of the Division of North and West Coast Affairs (Mills), December 9, 1947, in Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. viii, p. 136.↩
- For documentation on this subject, see ibid., pp. 131 ff.↩
- Ambassador William Dawson.↩