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4. Any other questions which the countries represented at the conference unanimously desire to consider."

You may verbally and confidentially inform the President that the Government of the United States does not contemplate the discussion of a Central American Union at this conference, nor the revival of the Central American Court of Justice, but simply measures which will place the relations of the five countries on a more stable basis. Of course the question of union can be brought up under paragraph 4 of the invitation if all the countries so desire, but will not be discussed if any is unwilling or offers objection thereto.

HUGHES

813.00 Washington/49c: Circular telegram

The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Representatives in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Salvador

63

WASHINGTON, November 11, 1922-6 p.m. You will please orally inform the government to which you are accredited that the government of the United States is gratified that all the Central American states have now accepted the Department's invitation to the Conference to be held in Washington on December 4th. You may say that the government and people of the United States are hopeful that this Conference will be another step in promoting friendly relations between the countries concerned and are desirous of rendering every service to bring about this happy result. You may also say that this government would be glad to participate in the Conference itself through duly appointed delegates, or to give its friendly aid outside the actual deliberations of the Conference, as the governments concerned may desire.

The Department would welcome an expression of opinion with respect to this matter on the part of the government to which you are accredited.

HUGHES

813.00 Washington/58: Telegram

The Minister in Costa Rica (Davis) to the Secretary of State

SAN JOSÉ, November 17, 1922—10 a. m.
[Received 1:15 p. m.]

71. Department's circular November 13, 11 a. m. [November 11, 6 p. m.] President Acosta called at the Legation to inform me that the participation of the United States Government in the Washing63 Acceptances not printed.

ton conference by giving its friendly aid would be appreciated and is desired by Costa Rica.

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The President feels that it would be best for the United States to participate in this manner for the following reasons; first, the invitation and preliminary conference did not indicate that the United States would participate by delegates; second, such participation would be in keeping with the spirit of the 1907 agreement relative to conferences; third, that the participation of the United States by regularly appointed plenipotentiaries would be seized upon by a large element as a means of attacking its results on the basis the United States would thus be in a position to impose its will upon the smaller republics, a charge which would be without foundation in fact but which might result in the nullification of the work of the conference.

DAVIS

813.00 Washington/58: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Costa Rica (Davis)

WASHINGTON, November 17, 1922—6 p. m.

23. Your 71, November 17, 10 a. m.

The Department has now received replies from all of the Central American countries. Three have requested the participation by the United States through duly appointed delegates and the remaining country has expressed a desire that the Government of the United States assist in any way it feels will be most beneficial, either through duly appointed delegates sitting in the Conference, or by giving its friendly aid. Two of the Governments have emphasized the earnest desire that the United States Government participate and their Ministers in Washington have expressed this desire to the Department. You will please orally bring this to the attention of the President and inform him that the Department's only desire is to be of the most assistance in the coming conference and to act in such manner as appears to the Governments concerned will be most beneficial and useful to them. The Department earnestly desires to comply with the wishes of Costa Rica in the matter but is, of course, placed in a very embarrassing position due to the earnest request of the other Governments concerned that it participate in the Conference through duly appointed delegates.

[Paraphrase.] When you are presenting the present situation to the President you should not give him the impression that this Gov

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* Replies of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Salvador not printed.

ernment wishes to persuade the Government of Costa Rica to act contrary to its desires. However, you can easily appreciate how embarrassing the present situation is and how gratifying it would be if this Government should receive from the Government of Costa Rica an invitation similar to those of Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Cable results. [End paraphrase.]

HUGHES

813.00 Washington/65: Telegram

The Minister in Costa Rica (Davis) to the Secretary of State

SAN JOSÉ, November 20, 1922—3 p. m.
[Received 9 p. m.]

72. Department's cable instruction 23, November 17, 6 p. m. After conferring with President Acosta he to-day informed me that Costa Rica will be pleased if the United States will participate in the Washington conference by means of regularly appointed delegates. Confidential despatch follows. Repeated to Central American missions. DAVIS

813.00 Washington/76a : Circular telegram

The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Representatives in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Salvador

WASHINGTON, November 22, 1922—5 p. m. Please inform the government to which you are accredited that, as it appears to be the opinion of the governments of Central America that the Government of the United States can most helpfully participate in the Conference on Central American Affairs by the appointment of official delegates, this Government will take pleasure in being so represented by the Secretary of State and Mr. Sumner Welles."

HUGHES

'[For the proceedings of the Conference, see Conference on Central American Affairs, Washington, December 4, 1922-February 7, 1923 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1923).]

'Commissioner to the Dominican Republic.

BOUNDARY DISPUTES

Dominican Republic and Haiti

738.3915/228

The High Commissioner in Haiti (J. H. Russell) to the Acting Sec

No. 67

retary of State

PORT AU PRINCE, September 20, 1922. [Received September 28.] SIR: I have the honor to invite the attention of the Department to the consideration of the Haitian-Dominican Boundary question. Correspondence on file in this Legation indicates that the Haitian Government has been ever-ready to submit the boundary question to arbitration, and under date of June 2nd, 1921 the American Minister to Haiti addressed a letter to the Secretary of State, Washington, D. C., which embodied the views of the Haitian Government on this question.68

Recently, there have been several cases of violations of the boundary by both Haitians and Dominicans, and it is believed that this subject is one of vital importance deserving prompt consideration by the Dominican Government.

The latter part of last month I received a letter from the President of Haiti informing me that he had learned an American Commission escorted by Marines and coming from Dominican territory was about to begin operations in the region of Pedernales, with a view to outlining the frontier.

The President furthermore requested that I inform him if such Commission was working under the mandate of the Washington Government, as mediators between the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti on the conflict of frontiers, or if it held solely the mandate of the Dominican Government. In the first case, he stated that we would here regulate the question, but in the second case, he asked me to draw the attention of the Military Government of Santo Domingo to the imperative necessity of a previous agreement with the Haitian Government if the Commission in the course of its work intend to penetrate Haitian territory. This request from the President was communicated by me to the Military Governor of Santo Domingo, who in reply informed me that the President of Haiti had been misinformed, the work in question having no connection with the Dominican-Haitian frontier question, but being merely a mapping party working in the region referred to in connection with the military map of Santo Domingo in course of preparation,

67 Continued from Foreign Relations, 1921, vol. I, pp. 228–231. es Ibid., p. 229.

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the map including the whole of the Dominican Republic in accordance with the Taft line, and that the Haitian Government need have no fear of any encroachment.

On September 12th, 1922, a letter was received from the President of Haiti, informing me that he had just received a telegram from the Prefect of Jacmel, dated from Anse à Pitres, where the Prefect was at the time on an inspection trip. In this telegram the Prefect stated that on the previous evening, September 11th, at about 10:00 p. m., a Marine coming from the Dominican side had opened fire upon the house in which he, the Prefect, was sitting. That he had called for help, that two Gendarmes had responded, that the Marine had opened fire upon the Gendarmes, and that the Gendarmes in returning the fire of the Marine, had killed him.

I immediately despatched an officer to Anse à Pitres to investigate this incident and informed the Military Governor of Santo Domingo of the contents of the Prefect's report. The Military Governor of Santo Domingo informed me that a Court of Inquiry had been ordered, and it would reach Pedernales by tug on the 16th of September, 1922, and that he would appreciate any assistance, and welcome any representative that I might care to send. Major Vandegrift, the officer sent by me to investigate this case, was consequently directed to remain at Anse à Pitres, collect witnesses and render every assistance to the Court of Inquiry, as well as to make his own report of the occurrence.

Recent telegrams from Major Vandegrift corroborate the report made by the Prefect.

I am in receipt of a note from the Haitian Government concerning this matter, a copy of which is attached hereto.70

The attention of the Department is respectfully invited to the great importance of the frontier question between Haiti and Santo Domingo, especially so in view of the anticipated withdrawal of United States forces from the Dominican Republic, and in this connection, it is my strong opinion that before said withdrawal is effected the Receiver General of Dominican Customs should be directed to re-establish and operate a border patrol, whose duty it should be to patrol the border line fixed by the United States Government in 1912 as the provisional de facto boundary line between the two Republics."1

It is further urged that in accordance with the wishes of the Haitian Government immediate steps be taken to obtain the consent

"The line shown on the War Department Map of Haiti and Santo Domingo, prepared by the second (military information) division, General Staff, Washington, 1907 and 1908, on Monte Christi sheet no. 6 and Barahona sheet no. 7. 70 Not printed.

"See Department's telegram of Sept. 24, 1912, 3 p. m., Foreign Relations, 1912, p. 368.

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