The Situation in the Dominican Republic
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Translation — CSL
M E M O R A N D U M.
December 6, 1913.
In accordance with your desire, I have the honor to ratify, by this communication, the declarations which I made to you verbally in our interview of yesterday. As my Government stated to me in a cable received three hours prior to our interview, the Hon. James M. Sullivan, EE and MP of the United States in Santo Domlingo, recently announced that a Commsission appointed by the Government of the United States would go to the Dominican Republic to supervise elections for Magistrates and Deputies, to be held on the 15th and 16th of the current month.
As a reslult of this statement which is the culmination of a series of declarations made on many occasions by the Hon. Mr. Sullivan with regard to the attitude of the North American Government affecting elections in the Dominican Republic, which declarations have been the cause of excitement and comment in the press throughout the Republic, my Government directs me to lay before the Department its desire that in the event that President Wilson, — in his laudable purpose of continuing to cooperate with the Government of President Bordas in the work which the latter proposes of cementing in morality and law the peace of the Dominican Republic — has considered it necessary and expedient to send the said superisvisors as stated by his worthy representative in Santo Domingo, President Wilson will modify his opinion in this regard, in view of the promise made by President Bordas and which I, today, solemnly reiterate, that during his administration elections in the Dominican Republic will be carried out with entire liberty of speech and action.
In transmitting this desire of President Bordas, I urge you to consider— taking into account the fact that the President has never given any reason for doubting the sincerity of his promises and purposes, and, further, the inherent tendency of professional revolutionists to convert every circumstance into a pretext for exciting the suspicion and arousing the patriotism of the masses— whether the announced despatch of foreign commissioners to supervise officially our elections, may not result in prove:
—I— Without cause, since the declarations concerning free elections and the attitude of the United States made by the Hon. Mr. Sullivan, were not the reason for the laying down of arms by the revolutionists, since they continued fighting many days after such declarations, and the rebels, after losing many battles and much ground, surrendered according to the confession of their leader Gen. Horacio Vasquez (attached)— nor was this effected as a result of any promise that the United States would guarantee elections, but by virtue of a pact, the first clause of which is as follows: “ Elections entirely free, guaranteed by the National Government, both for Constitutional Deputies and for President of the Republic; the Executive Power engaging to remove from office any authority not observing the strictest and most absolute neutrality in this regard”.
2.— Unnecessary;— Since President Bordas has restored constitutional guaranties, has liberated many persons imprisoned during the late revolution, and nothing has been done to the present in violation of the said pact, which can give rise to the belief that it will not be executed religiously;
3.— Useless,— Since elections are always celebrated publicly and may always be watched as much as is desired both by natives and strangers; therefore the pressure which might be exercised to nullify them could always be proven without the sending of a foreign official Commission;
4. Counstructive,— Since the presence of strangers with the official mission of supervising our elections could be exploited by provokers of revolutions, who would endeavor to make the Dominican people believe— that the Dominican Government had consented to the despoiling of our sovereignty, whereby, either there would ensue the driving out of power a President–possibly the only one in our history — who was elected by the free will of the representatives of parties who the day previous had been facing each other and disposed to go to war in order to effect the triumph of their respective candidates; or more likely would provoke a new loss of blood and money in a war which could only secure to the government as a best result a sad triumph at a cost of life and interests to thousands of its sons.
In view of these reasons, President Bordas, who is profoundly grateful to President Wilson for the effective support which he had given the Dominican nation in the efforts of its Government to maintain a sound constitutional rule, hopes that he may continue to merit this support and the confidence of the people and Government of the United States, and believes firmly that as the cooperation of that Government in weakening the last revolution was carried out with certainty and speed without the despatch of American soldiers to fight the Dominican soldiers rebels, in the same way, without the sending of American Commissioners, may the same results be obtained in regard to the ends of justtice so much desired by all, that we hold free elections; through a declaration only of principles through wise counsel which will always be eagerly sought, and with any other indication of the exalted aspirations of His Excellency, President Wilson, which may not be interpreted by anyone as an attack upon our sovereignty.
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