839.00/8–648
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of American Republic Affairs (Daniels)
| Participants: | Ambassador Thomen, of Dominican Republic |
| Ambassador Salazar, Dominican Representative on COAS | |
| Ambassador Ortega Frier | |
| Ambassador Arturo Despradel | |
| Señor Rodríguez | |
| Mr. Daniels of ARA | |
| Mr. Dreier of IA | |
| Members of Dominican Mission to consult with “Committee of Five” |
The Dominican Mission listed above, accompanied by Ambassadors Thomen and Salazar, called on me at my office by appointment on August 5 at 11:30 AM. Ortega Frier and Despradel expounded at some length the Dominican position, stressing particularly their fears and suspicions in regard to the policy of the Cuban Government, They pointed out that the revolutionary attempt against the Dominican Republic could hardly be considered in the nature of a “revolution” in view of the fact that the great majority of participants—both in the Cayo Confites expedition last year, and the conspiracies now under way—were foreigners and not Dominicans. There was much other talk of the alleged conspiratorial movement against the Dominican Government along the line of previous reports from Ciudad Trujillo and the Dominican Embassy.
I expressed the position of the U.S. in this matter as follows:
- 1)
- Our policy is to adhere to the various Inter-American commitments in regard to non-intervention in the internal or external affairs of other countries, and to the Habana Treaty of 1928 intended to prevent revolutionary activity in one country directed against the government of another country, and that we had made this policy known in more than one Circular Instruction to our Missions in the American republics.
- 2)
- That we favored the utilization of inter-American machinery for the peaceful settlement of disputes and for alleviating such situations of tension as now existed in the Caribbean area.
- 3)
- That we would cooperate actively with the “Committee of Five” established by the Habana Consultative Meeting of 1940 and that, in fact, I had attended its first meeting last Saturday, July 31 at the Pan American Union.
- 4)
- That I was uncertain of the procedure the Committee would follow, but that in that regard I assumed the Dominicans would be in touch with Dr. Lleras, Secretary-General of the OAS and Dr. Lavalle, Chairman of the COAS.
The Dominicans appeared satisfied with the foregoing statements, and departed without any specific arrangements being made for further [Page 180] conversations with them, but with the understanding that it would [be] mutually convenient for us to exchange views and impressions from time to time.