439.11c Colom, Eduardo/63

The Chargé in the Dominican Republic (Brown) to the Secretary of State

No. 2008

Sir: With reference to the Department’s confidential instruction No. 278 of October 24, 1934, (File No. 439.11 C Colom, Eduardo/52 [59]), and to the Legation’s confidential despatch No. 1976 of October 31, 1934,31 concerning the claim against the Dominican Republic for the murder of Eduardo Colom y Piris and concerning the Department’s instruction to me to advise the Minister of Foreign Affairs informally that our Government would be disposed to consider the matter concluded by payment of $5,000 as a solatium and without regard to the question of legal liability, I have the honor to enclose a copy with translation of a note from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, dated November 17, 1934, with which was transmitted a New York draft, also enclosed, in the amount of $5,000 payable to the order of the Secretary of State of the United States of America. There is enclosed, in addition, a copy of the Legation’s note of November 17, 1934,32 in acknowledgment of the note from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The attention of the Department is respectfully called to the second paragraph of the note from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

For the Department’s information, I beg leave to report that on November 121 spoke about this matter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and advised him informally, as I had previously advised the Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs on October 31, of our Government’s disposition toward the case, in accordance with the Department’s instruction under reference. The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that he had been informed of the matter by the Under Secretary and that he would speak to the President about it at once. He added that he would let the Legation have an answer within a few days, as has been done.

Respectfully yours,

James E. Brown, Jr.
[Enclosure—Translation]

The Dominican Minister for Foreign Affairs (Logroño) to the American Chargé (Brown)

Mr. Chargé d’Affaires: I am pleased to enclose check number 42347, of The National City Bank of New York, of November 17, in the [Page 211] amount of $5,000.00, issued to the order of the Honorable the Secretary of State of the United States.

Said sum is to be furnished, in accordance with our conversations concerning the matter, as a generous aid of my Government to the legal representatives of the family of Mr. Eduardo Colom[y] Piris, of North American nationality, murdered at the city of San Pedro de Macorís in April of 1933 by a Dominican, a crime which the Government of the Republic was most prompt in lamenting and prosecuting and for which it has repudiated liability of any sort on every occasion.

I am [etc.]

Arturo Logroño
  1. Latter not printed.
  2. Not printed.