File No. 819.51/1342.
The Secretary of State to Mr. Charles M. Johnston.
Washington, June 1, 1914.
Sir: In accordance with the suggestion of His Excellency, the Provisional President of the Dominican Republic, General Jose Bordas Valdes, transmitted to the Department of State by the Dominican Charge d’Affaires at this capital, under date of May 26, 1914, you are informed that you have been designated by the President of the United States, under Article I of the Convention of February 8, 1907, to assume the duties of Financial Expert to the Dominican Republic. You are specifically charged with the following duties:
- (1)
- To render effective the clauses of the Convention of 1907, by aiding the proper officials of the Dominican Government in the adjudication and settlement of all its outstanding indebtedness;
- (2)
- To devise and inaugurate an adequate system of public accountability;
- (3)
- To investigate proper means of increasing the public revenues and of so adjusting the public disbursements thereto that deficits may be avoided;
- (4)
- To inquire into the validity of any and all claims which may be presented against the Dominican Government;
- (5)
- To countersign all checks, drafts, warrants or orders for the payment of Dominican funds.
- (6)
- To enlighten both Governments with reference to any eventual debt and to determine if such debt is or is not in conformity with the Convention of 1907;
- (7)
- To exercise all the powers of a Comptroller over the Receivership, the Department of Public Works and all other departments or bureaus of public accounts;
- (8)
- To compose whatever differences may arise between the Receivership and the Department of Treasury and Commerce, in which matters not requiring the intervention of both Governments are involved;
- (9)
- To assist the proper officials of the Dominican Government in the preparation of the annual budget and to aid them in correlating the governmental expenditures thereto.
It is understood that while your designation is made under Article I of the Convention, relating to the appointment of the Receiver General of Customs and other employees of the Receivership, you [Page 237] will not be under the jurisdiction of the aforesaid Receivership or subservient thereto.
Your compensation as agreed upon between the Presidents of the United States and the Dominican Republic will be eight thousand dollars ($8,000) per annum in United States currency, payable monthly in New York exchange. The Dominican Government will also allow you all necessary traveling expenses while in the discharge of your official functions, including also necessary clerical, office and miscellaneous expenses incurred in the orderly prosecution of your duties. The aforesaid compensation and expenses shall be defrayed by the Receivership from the five per cent (5%) allotted under the Convention of 1907.
I am [etc.]