File No. 839.00/375. The Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador. No. 1140.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 26, 1911. EXCELLENCY: Referring to previous correspondence relative to the rumored efforts of ex-President Carlos Morales to conduct a revolution against the present Dominican Government, I have the honor to inform your excellency that the acting governor of Porto Rico reports by telegraph, under date of April 24, as follows: Referring to telegram from your office (Office of the Secretary of War), of 21st instant, United States marshal last night arrested Gens. Morales, Jiménez, and Torribio, on a charge of violation of neutrality law, supported by testimony and affidavits of witnesses and seized documents; bail fixed at $7,500 each; as yet unable to furnish. Correspondence seized indicates plan to use twin-screw three-mast vessel now at Somerset, Bermuda, furnished by person signing himself "Heney," go to Inapua Island and meet schooner with arms and ammunition, the latter now stored in place referred to as the Canadian arsenal, and attack Puerto Plata. Correspondence indicates Capt. James C. Marmion, 181 De Kalb Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Capt. John H. Sheridan, Bennett Building, 99 Nassau Street, New York City; Eugenio Deschamps, 225 West One hundred and twenty-third Street, New York City, connected with arrangements for securing and delivering munitions and vessel. It may be well to watch movements of persons named. 66 This Department would be glad if the above information could be transmitted, in confidence, to the proper authority at Bermuda with a view to ascertaining its correctness and to taking appropriate action. Í have, etc., File No. 839.00/393. HUNTINGTON WILSON. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, June 5, 1911. The legation has been requested by the minister for foreign affairs to convey to the Government of the United States the sincere thanks and appreciation of the Government of the Dominican Republic for taking prompt and effective measures in frustrating the attempts to start a revolutionary movement in the Dominican Republic. File No. 839.00/407. RUSSELL. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, November 22, 1911. I am informed by the Dominican minister for foreign affairs that an expedition is now being prepared by Horatio Vásquez from St. Thomas. The minister for foreign affairs requests that instructions be issued to the American consul at St. Thomas to endeavor to pre rent the expedition wearing forth frm that place. Señor Telizonez stated restendLY DECLING That it would be useful to the Dominican Government of an American war ship were at Santo Domingo. Leonte Visper bescher of Horatio and Dominican minister at Paris, was arrested yesterday morning in this city. The city is quiet. MY DEAR MR. MINISTER: The Department is in receipt of a telegram from the American Legation at Santo Domingo City to the effect that the minister for foreign afairs informs the American chargé d'afaires that an expedition is now being prepared by Horatio Vásquez from St. Thomas. The minister for foreign affairs requests that instructions be issued to the American consul at St. Thomas to endeavor to prevent the expedition setting forth from that place. I have the honor to replest that you be kind enough to transmit this information to your Government. I am. etc., P. C. Knox. File No. 839.00/414. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, November 25, 1911. Throughout all the Dominican Republic quiet continues. Members of congress are now gathering to meet on November 30, in order to elect a provisional President. It is expected that disturbances or something worse will take place then. The prospect of the Horatio Vásquez expedition from St. Thomas is alarming the Dominican Government, which is drafting all possible recruits. File No. 839.00/444. ENDICOTT. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. {Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, December 11, 1911. Cruisers North Carolina and Washington left on the 8th instant at midnight. I am informed by the minister for foreign affairs that Morales has made a landing and is in hiding in the neighborhood of Pedro Macoris and that yesterday an expedition under Desiderio Arias left Nipe, Cuba, presumably for Monte Christi. The gunboat Wheeling is here. RUSSELL File No. 839.00/477. [Extract.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, December 23, 1911. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the Morales expedition that landed in the east from Porto Rico has met with dismal failure. Morales himself was brought here yesterday, and is now in the fortress, awaiting, according to the Government's statement, trial by the courts. Mauricio Jiménez is also in the fortress. Nemesio Guzmán was killed in an encounter with the Government troops. About a dozen or fifteen more, Dominicans and Porto Ricans, captured with the party, are also prisoners. This accounts for all the chiefs of the projected Morales revolution of last spring from Porto Rico, who were arrested in San Juan, with the exception of Zenón Torribio, and he lately arrived at Puerto Plata on a French steamer, but was not allowed to land-he is supposed to be somewhere in Haiti. WILLIAM W. RUSSELL. File No. 839.00/470. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, December 29, 1911. Zenón Torribio is reported to have landed in the Dominican Republic via Haiti with a revolutionary force of Dominicans and Haitians, and to be receiving aid from the Haitian authorities. A Dominican gunboat has been dispatched to Dajabón with a strong force. Torribio was one of the Morales group and is the only one who escaped capture or death at San Juan last spring. RUSSELL. ASSASSINATION OF THE PRESIDENT, DON RAMÓN CÁCERES, AND ASSUMPTION OF THE OFFICE BY DON ELADIO VICTORIA AS PROVISIONAL PRESIDENT. File No. 839.00/3. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, November 20, 1911. President Cáceres shot fatally this afternoon. File No. 839.001/3. ENDICOTT. The President of the United States to Madame Cáceres. [Telegram.] THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, November 20, 1911. Please accept my heartfelt sympathies in your great affliction. WM. H. TAFT. File No. 839.001/3. The Secretary of State to the American Chargé d'Affaires. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 20, 1911-1 p. m. Appropriately express to the foreign office the sincere sympathy of the Government of the United States for the Dominican people on account of the calamity which has befallen them. Report fully by cable. ΚΝΟΧ. File No. 839.001/51. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, November 20, 1911-10 p. m. Mr. Endicott reports that the funeral of President Cáceres took place on this date attended by all the Government ministers, the diplomatic corps and military and civil authorities. He says the city continues quiet and that Velásquez states that the Government has the situation under perfect control. Two decrees were proclaimed on this date by the Government ministers assuming charge of Executive power under the constitution, the first decreeing mourning for nine days, and the second convoking Congress on the 30th instant to name provisional President pending the regular elections. The murderer of the President, Luis Tejera, was captured and shot. An accessory, Gen. Pimentel, was also killed, and many arrests have been made. The minister of fomento, who is a brother of Luis Tejera, has been removed from the Cabinet. File No. 839.001/13. No. 108. ] The American Minister to the Secretary of State. [Extract.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Santo Domingo, December 11, 1911. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that on the 6th instant Mr. Eladio Victoria took the oath of office as Provisional President of the Republic. The ceremonies were extremely simple and took place in the Senate Chamber before both Houses of the National Assembly. The diplomatic and consular corps were present by invitation. I have, etc., WILLIAM W. RUSSELL, 44773°F B 1911-17 ECUADOR. MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT, GEN. ELOY ALFARO, TO THE CONGRESS, AUGUST 10, 1911. File No. 822.032/5. [Translation of the passage dealing with the inability of the Government to comply with the suggestion of the mediating powers regarding reference to The Hague of the boundary dispute with Perú. There is no other allusion to the United States in the message.] Our international relations have been extended and are maintained on a footing of most cordial friendship, excepting with Peru, from whom we are still kept aloof by frontier controversies. His Majesty, King Alfonso XIII, declined the task of arbitrator in this controversy, as soon as he perceived that the award would plunge the two litigants into war. So noble and high minded an attitude was becoming to the illustrious Spanish Sovereign and eloquently showed his interest for the maintenance of peace among the Republics, daughters of heroic Spain. On the 25th of November, of last year, his excellency, Sr. García Prieto, His Catholic Majesty's minister of state, was pleased to communicate the said inhibition to our chancellor and the communication was received with much gratitude by the entire Ecuadorian people. Arbitration having thus come to an end, the mediating powers, always desiring a happy and peaceful solution of the Ecuadorian-Peruvian controversy, suggested that our frontier dispute be submitted to the Permanent Tribunal at The Hague. But the Government of Ecuador, although duly appreciative of the suggestion of the medating powers, could not accept it, because there was question of a vital national interest, namely, that of our sovereignty over twothirds of our territory. It based its refusal on the principles which, in this same respect, were upheld by the delegates of North America, Brazil, and other nations, at the second Peace Conference at The Hague; and which exclude from arbitration such questions as, in the judgment of any one of the parties interested, affect the vital interests of the nation, its honor and its sovereignty. The Government of the United States of Venezuela, for the purpose of celebrating the centennial of its political emancipation, invited the five Republics liberated by Bolivar to a congress to agree on a basis for a union of the said States. As was natural, the Government of Ecuador accepted this brotherly invitation, and in conformity with the desires of the Venezuelan chancellery, our delegates were furnished with plenary powers in order to reach a definite and honorable settlement with the Republic of Peru, within the bosom of that assembly. Unfortunately, as the minister for foreign affairs will show you in detail, the Peruvian plenipotentiaries emphatically declared that their country would accept no settlement of any kind with Ecuador and that the union must be built up on the basis of absolute arbitration for every kind of controversies. In the face of such declarations, the Ecuadorian delegation had to present the negative answer which the minister for foreign affairs will lay before you and which has been communicated to friendly nations for their information. I must advise you that Peru handed in this decision only after all the conciliatory methods proposed by the delegations of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela had been exhausted, all of which agreed in eliminating from the projected arbitration disputes about frontiers, present and future, in so far as these might constitute vital national interests. Peru rejected every form of conciliation and the Bolivian union, as had been foreseen, was not realized. |