710.1012 Washington/34
The Minister in the Dominican Republic (Young) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 23.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of the Department’s instruction No. 239 of April 14, 192878 relative to the Conference of Conciliation and Arbitration to be held in Washington, and to enclose herewith a copy of the Legation’s note to the Foreign Office79 informing [Page 627] it of the suggestions therein contained and inquiring if they are acceptable to the Dominican Government.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sanchez, has informally expressed the opinion that the suggestions as to the date of the conference and the size of the delegations will be acceptable to his Government. In conversation with him concerning the proposed conference, I endeavored discreetly to obtain information as to the attitude of the Dominican Government on the question of arbitration and conciliation. Without hesitation Mr. Sanchez informed me that in his opinion the Dominican Government should be unreservedly committed to arbitration and conciliation, first, because of the constitutional provision that the powers instituted by the Constitution cannot declare war without previously proposing arbitration and that to secure this principle clauses relative to the solution of all differences by means of arbitration must be inserted in all international treaties entered into by the Republic (Article 100 of the Constitution of 1927), and second, because the physical position of the Dominican Republic makes arbitration and conciliation essential. He added that he believed that the Dominican delegation to the forthcoming conference should have instructions enabling them to concede the maximum with regard to obligatory arbitral jurisdiction.
During the above-mentioned conversation I referred to the Gondra Treaty. Mr. Sanchez stated that he was unaware of any particular opposition to the treaty and said that it is probably among those which have been submitted to Congress but not acted on, or which through carelessness have never been submitted to the Congress. In discussing the provisions of this treaty Mr. Sanchez volunteered the observation, that its ratification might opportunely precede the conference at Washington, which gave me an opportunity to indicate the sincere hope of my Government that ratification might be effected before the conference.
Minister Sanchez assured me that he would submit the various suggestions raised to the President and promptly advise me of the Government’s attitude thereon.
I have [etc.]