Text of the Dominican Republic’s Refugee Offer

Mr. James N. Rosenberg

Dear Mr. Rosenberg:

When the President of the United States initiated the Evian Conference a year and half ago for the noble, humanitarian purpose of aiding the resettlement of refugees, the Dominican Republic informed Mr. Myron C. Taylor of its willingness to receive and give an opportunity for livelihood and permanent homes to 100,000 refugees; such refugees to come to our country over the course of such number of years as may be necessary to enable them to establish themselves soundly and permanently as useful and self-supporting citizens of the Dominican Republic. Practical progress along these lines has only recently become possible, following the creation of the Intergovernmental Committee, and the steps which have been taken by the nations of the world which have participated in that movement. Following our announcement to Mr. Taylor, surveys as to economic, agricultural and other opportunities in the Dominican Republic have been made at the instance of the President’s Advisory Committee on Political Refugees and upon the completion of the surveys and the favorable reports which were made as to settlement possibilities in our country, we have entered into conversations with your colleagues and yourself which have led to a definite proposal from you and them making possible the beginning of the work of settlement as soon as all preliminary arrangements can be completed.

On Tuesday last, October 17th, President Roosevelt, in welcoming Lord Winterton, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee, and his colleagues, stated that “active steps have been taken to begin actual settlement made possible by the generous attitude of the Dominican Government.” As you know, this statement has reference to the matters which have for some time been under discussion.

It need hardly be said that our government is deeply appreciative of President Roosevelt’s statement. We wish, however, to make it clear that the government of the Dominican Republic is not actuated only by humanitarian impulses, but by a realization that just as the United States has been built into a great nation through emigration of hardy and useful settlers and pioneers, so we in our country also recognize the need and desirability of having such pioneer refugees settle and take part in the constructive progress of our country, which has been rapid and sound during the last decade. In our various conversations with Mr. George L. Warren, executive Secretary of President Roosevelt’s Advisory Committee on Political Refugees, yourself and your colleagues, we have all agreed that it is essential that such a settlement program should begin on a moderate scale and that it requires careful selection of the right kind of human material. Through the action of your colleagues and yourself, sufficient funds have now been allocated to make possible a beginning of this important project at an early date. Hence, it is appropriate that you should now have the following statement of the position of the Dominican Government which I have the honor to represent.

1-Following the preliminary surveys made by the experts sent to my country by the President’s Advisory Committee, my government invites further visits in order that fully detailed plans may be worked out with the utmost promptness.

2-With the aid of the President’s Advisory Committee and in cooperation with your colleagues and yourself, we propose that steps shall be taken overseas for the selection of a first unit of approximately five hundred refugee families, Jewish and non-Jewish. These refugee families are to be selected for their fitness in the pioneering work upon the soil which they will principally engage in, and also for their fitness in industry and production as well as in the necessary professional technical and skilled supplementation required for a balanced economy. In the discussions which we have all had, there has been unanimity as to the wisdom of making a modest beginning with about five hundred families so as to avoid the pitfalls and dangers of initiating too large an undertaking at the outset.

3–Through appropriate legislation, I am satisfied that my Government will take such steps as to give adequate assurances that such settlers shall enjoy full civil, economic and religious right after a reasonably brief period, say of two years, to acquire their naturalization in accordance with our laws. I beg to assure you that our government, which is keenly desirous of making this undertaking a milestone in the difficult refugee problems which con-front the world, will take all appropriate steps to see to it that there shall be no discrimination against such settlers but that they shall be given an honorable, just and equal opportunity so that they may pursue their occupations and life free of molestation and persecution, and that our government will take appropriate steps to carry out such purposes. In conformity with these general statements, our government will be prepared to take steps so that settlers may be permitted to import, duty free, not for sale, but for their use on the soil, such tools, equipment, materials etc. as may be needed to establish them as economically self-supporting.

4-As a result of the discussions with you, and according to information received from you and your colleagues, it is contemplated that at an early date a corporation will be formed by your colleagues, and yourself which shall at the outset receive a sufficient amount of paid-in capital as agreed upon, to initiate the undertaking along the lines above described. Such corporation will be permitted to maintain an office, and its representative, experts and others will be accorded full rights to fully conduct this enterprise within my country. Such corporation, as all other humanitarian enterprises in my country as well as the enterprise for agricultural colonization under the control of the Department of Agriculture, will be exempted from any taxes. We shall be glad, provided the State Department of your country agrees, to give its official representatives such diplomatic or quasi-diplomatic privileges as may seem advisable. It is to be understood that the corporation shall pay or provide all the expenses for the transportation of the proposed settlers, their landing and their care on arrival in my country. We recognize that temporary housing may have to be provided for such settlers. To that end, my government will allocate an adequate piece of land for the free use of the settlers for an initial, reasonable period of time until they shall find their permanent homes. We shall facilitate in every way the efforts of the corporation to be formed, in the selection and erection of such suitable housing, which can be accomplished by use of material, largely if not entirely existent within my country. My government will also cooperate with the corporation for suitable employment of the settlers in agricultural work, road building and other similar activities, it being expected, however, that the bulk of these first settlers will engage in farming or in related enterprises. My Government will also facilitate and aid in the transportation of the refugees to my country and in their reception and care upon their arrival, and in securing appropriate legislation to expedite the carrying forward of the project herein discussed by appropriate statutes as to emigration, labor and other laws assuring full civil and economic rights and safeguards. My government will also take appropriate steps to aid in the selection of suitable lands for agricultural purposes and for the acquisition of such lands by the corporation, either through lease or purchase at fair terms for the benefit of the settlers; and also the government will further be ready to enter into discussion with the corporation looking toward the giving of options to the corporation for larger adjacent suitable agricultural lands for later and greater settlement which is contemplated.

The question of unmarried young men and girls who are to come with this first group has been given much thought by my government, and I am happy to say that I have been able to make satisfactory arrangements for them. It is my understanding that the corporation to be formed will bring a small number of such young people to my country, and will construct a suitable dormitory, school house and agricultural training grounds for their care, upkeep and education.

Through the intense humanitarian and benevolent interests of a Dominican patriot, I am confident that arrangements will be made for financing the care of these young people for a period of two years so that they will be able to receive instruction in the religions in which they were born, as well as secular education which will fit them for citizenship in the Dominican Republic, and it is confidently hoped that the future will prove that they will turn out to be valuable acquisition to our future national life.

The corporation to be formed shall have by appropriate act of our government the right to purchase, lease, acquire or dispose of tracts of land, initiate industries, etc., provided such activities shall be in line with the general governmental policies of my country. We shall encourage the corporation to aid the establishment and development of industries; particularly at the outset, handcraft industries for the settlers.

The corporation is to have the right at its own expense to maintain an adequate, competent technical staff for the guidance of the settlers.

The selection of the settlers shall be recommended by the corporation but subject to the approval of my government. The corporation is to make every effort to use in the development of its projects all material, equipment and manpower which may be available in my country and which shall be appropriate for its purposes. The corporation is to have the right to equip and maintain receiving and training camps for the settlers. Should the corporation acquire lands or properties, it shall have the right to lease, sell, sublease or otherwise cede any or all of such properties to the settlers on terms to be arranged between the corporation and the settlers. My government will, at all times, assist the corporation in the selection of all necessary tracts of land on fair and advantageous terms. The government will permit the settlers to form purchase, sale or credit group cooperatives along such lines as may not be inconsistent with our general governmental policies. The education facilities, both in school and university in my government, shall be available to the settlers on the same conditions as those which apply to all citizens of my country. The settlers shall have full right to the protection of our courts and of the other branches of my government, as have all other citizens of my country.

Based upon this letter, my government is prepared to enter into a definite agreement with the corporation about to be formed. I understand that you will wish to submit any such proposed agreement to the President’s Advisory Committee, to Mr. Myron C. Taylor and to the State Department of the United States for approval. This will be entirely satisfactory to the Dominican Government.

I close with the following statement:

If, with God’s blessing, this initial undertaking, modest though it may be, can succeed, I trust that my country may have contributed, in collaboration with yours, to the solution of grave world problems by blazing a path, founded not merely on humanitarian principles, but on renewed recognition of the well established fact that the right kind of human material, given a fair opportunity, can and will become important elements in the up building of countries of immigration. In his notable address on October 17th, President Roosevelt referred to the vast refugee problems which are daily being aggravated and increased by the exigencies of war and persecution; and to the vast numbers of human beings whose roots have literally been torn up. He pointed out that there are to-day, many vacant spaces on the earth’s surface where, from the point of view of climate and resources, European settlers can live permanently. I trust that my country can do its share in pointing the way toward a wise, just and humane solution of these vast problems, so closely related to world peace. This my country offers wholeheartedly to do. All the more important will it become that we proceed gradually, seeing to it, step by step, that healthy and sound progress shall be made.

With these thoughts in mind, I am glad that there has been full agreement in the conferences which have led to this letter on the point that the beginning must be on a modest scale. Later steps will depend on many considerations. I emphasize this point, about which we are in full agreement, because we realize that as soon as the work begins and shows progress, there are apt to be early and pressing appeals from unfortunate refugees for the further opening of our doors; appeals to which we shall not wish to be deaf, but which we can meet only in due time.

No other arrangements for settlement purposes will be made by my Government excepting after conferences and consultations with officials of your organization.

Trusting that this effort which follows the noble initiative of the President of your country may meet with success, I am

Yours very sincerely, Andres Pastoriza, E.E. and Minister Plenipotentiary.