Evening star., 1935-05-03
j. S. SALES AGENT
JA|LEDbY TRUJ|LL0.
San Domingo President Is
Blamed for Act by
Italy Also.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

A serious diplomatic incident in
which the United States may become
involved has occurred in San Do
mingo, where the Italian consul,
Amedeo Bartletta, was arrested early
in April and is being held incom-
municado by the Dominican author
tiles
Barletta is an Italian citizen. Be-
sides being honorary consul Of italy
he also is representing two American
business concerns, the Dominican
Tobacco Co.. subsidiary of the
Penn Tobacco Co., and the San
Domingo Motor Co., the distributing
agency of General Motors
President Rafael Trujillo who is
trying to emulate his close friend,
former Dictator Geraldo Machado,
ordered the arrest and Imprisonment
without trial of the Italian consul,
charging him with conspiracy against
his life in connivance with the
Dominican opposition party.
Gift of Car Started It.
The charge arose from the fact
that Barletta, as representative of the
General Motors, had given an auto
mobile to the wouldbe revolutionaries
According to the official reports re-
ceived in Washington, this happened: &:
Trujillo's opponents wanted to hire
an automobile from Barletta,s COM
pany. This was refused. When they
pleaded that they could not pay for
a motor car they were told that they
could purchase it on the installment
plant. This they did.
The next day soldiers of the Presi-
dent of the Dominican Republic came
to Barletta's house and arrested him.
Since, he has not been permitted to
communicate either with his lawyers
or with the Italian Minister, Nicola
Macario, who came from Havana in
order to save his subordinate.
According to official reports from
San Domingo, the real reason for Bar
letta's arrest is that he refused to sell
the Dominican Tobacco Co. to Tru-
jillo's henchmen.
The Dominican President, who al
ready has complete monopoly over
the telephone, the ice and the meat
companies in the republic, wanted to
obtain control over the tobacco COM
pany, too. Barletta owns SO per cent
of the stock and refused to sell ou.
HenSe the charge that he was plotting
to overthrow Trujillo. which enabled
the authorities of San Domingo 10
arrest Barletta.
According to the Dominican laws
any individual guilty of conspiring
against the safety of the republic
and Trujillo is the republic-will be
arrested and his property confiscated
Since the arrest of Barletta the in
come of the Dominican Tobacco Co. is
being paid into the treasury of the
Dominican government. This means
that the Dominican authorities are
confiScatlng a revenue which belongs
partly to- an American concern.
Ambassador Rosso here and his
counsellor, Marquis RosSi Longhi
officials Of the State Department try
ing TO settle the matter without Italy
having TO intervene directly in the
Dominican Republic. They did not
make any official representations, but
merely discussed the matter con-
corning the Italian government, as
Barletta is an Italian citizen and
representative of the Italian govern
ment and the American Government
because the interests Of two Ameri-
can companies are involved in this
incident.
Trujillo Adamant.
The combined efforts of the italian
Minister to Cuba and the Dominican
Republic together with those of the
American Minister, H. F. Arthur
Schoenfeld, may succeed in settling
the incident without stronger
measures.
So far, however, President Trujillo
is adamant and not only refused tc
liberate the Italian consul but will not
permit any one to see or talk to him
The State Department is concerned
about this matter which might neces-
state an active Intervention on the
part of the Italian government in San
Domingo.
So far, Mussolini has taken no ac-
ton, neither has he threatened to send
warship to the Dominican republic
Following advice, he is waiting for
Trujillo to be convinced that high
handed methods might be dangerous
1t is feared. however, that. if the
President of the Dominican republic
does not show more intelligence, COM
plications may arise soon.