Petition to Generalissimo Trujillo
Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
Saturday, August 24, 1957
TO HIS EXCELLENCY, GENERALISSIMO RAFAEL LEONIDAS TRUJILLO:
WE, 33,091 delegates assembled here at the Baltimore Memorial Stadium, at Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A., on this the fourth day of this five-day “Life-giving Wisdom” District Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses, take this special occasion of worldwide importance to address ourselves to Your Excellency. We invite your official attention to a matter that deeply concerns you and the nation that you represent and also concerns us as Christians from many parts of these United States of America.
Recently we have been reading in our newspapers in many cities and also hearing on television programs reports that on Saturday afternoon, August 3, 1957, your government deported ten (10) American citizens from the Dominican Republic, sending them by airplane from Ciudad Trujillo to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. We were astounded and grieved at the action of your government when all these published reports revealed that these ten American citizens are Christian missionaries who represent a religious organization that is very prominent in these United States of America and that has won great respect among the officials and among the common people for the great educational work that it is doing with God’s written Word, the Holy Scriptures, not alone in this vast land but also in more than one hundred and sixty other lands around the earth. The action of your government in this matter has therefore begun to capture world interest and attention.
In addition to reading and hearing by newspaper, radio and television all this publicity that has already been given to your government action, we have been privileged to hear firsthand reports from those who are directly involved in this deportation process. As delegates to this District Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses we have eight of these American citizens here who were, until recently, missionaries to your country. Besides appearing on television in this city they have served on the platform of this assembly and given us a verbal account of the course that has been taken by your government against them and against all the other witnesses of Jehovah in the Dominican Republic. Their direct reports have added verification to what we have already read in many newspapers. The matter has been made so vivid and real and impressive to us that we feel stirred to make this statement of facts and to address this Appeal in behalf of our Christian brothers and sisters, our fellow witnesses of Jehovah, in your land.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
Your own government is well aware that Jehovah’s witnesses have been active in your country for now many years. Your government is also aware of the measure of freedom that has been accorded these sincere, humble Christians. Missionaries, graduates from the well-known Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, were admitted to your land and once enjoyed privileges of Christian educational work there, with great spiritual benefit to hundreds of your countrymen.
As your own official records may show, it was in 1945 that the first of Jehovah’s witnesses went to the city of Ciudad Trujillo to extend their Bible educational work in the Dominican Republic. Their preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom both publicly and from house to house met with a favorable reaction on the part of many Dominicans who desired to increase their knowledge of God’s Holy Word and to prepare for the foretold Day when the kingdom of Jehovah God by Christ Jesus will reign over all the earth with blessings to all the people of good will regardless of their nationality today. Many Dominicans thus educated saw their responsibility and acted upon their responsibility to carry out Jesus’ prophetic command: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come.” (Quoted from Matthew’s Gospel, Mt chapter 24, verse 14.) By the year 1950 there were twenty-five missionaries that had been sent from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead to your fair land. The response of the humble, righteously disposed Dominicans was notable, and this Bible education spread to many parts.
In June, 1950, the situation changed for them. Your government issued a decree declaring that this religious group of Christians was illegal and that all meetings and propaganda were considered against the political state. This decree, as the open and widely known evidence betrayed, was framed and issued under the instigation of the representatives of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy in your land who were displeased at the spreading Bible educational work of Jehovah’s witnesses. During the six years that followed the American missionaries were either obliged to leave Santo Domingo or had to quit their missionary work and take up secular work in order to remain in the country. As for the Dominican witnesses of Jehovah themselves, they continued to hold fast their Christian faith based upon the Holy Bible and to carry on in their ministry, but without what freedom they had enjoyed up until this ban of 1950. They followed the Christlike example of the apostle Peter and his fellow apostles. When the supreme court of Jerusalem arrested them and commanded them to stop preaching the good news about Christ and God’s kingdom, Peter and the other apostles said to the court: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” So when the apostles were beaten and released under further threats by the court, they left the courtroom but they continued to obey God as ruler by keeping on teaching and preaching Jesus Christ every day in the temple and in every house. (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 5, verses 29-42, New World Translation) By following this apostolic course the Dominican witnesses were not subversive to the political government but obedient to the Most High God Jehovah, and for this He blessed them, and the number of witnesses of Jehovah in Santo Domingo continued to increase. This proved that a ban upon His witnesses by any government does not have Jehovah God’s approval and blessing, but He prospers his faithful, obedient servants and witnesses and prospers them spiritually. We do not here, however, set out in any detail the physical and mental sufferings that Jehovah’s witnesses had to undergo during that period of this ban.
Aware that Jehovah’s witnesses were still in Santo Domingo and practicing their faith, your government, for reasons best known to itself, suddenly lifted the ban upon Jehovah’s witnesses in August, 1956, by publishing a small announcement in the public press, stating that all restrictions were taken off the organization and work of Jehovah’s witnesses and that they could again carry on openly, without governmental interference, in all their religious activities. At this commendable action by your national government Jehovah’s witnesses throughout all the earth rejoiced. This removal of the ban was naturally favorable in its effect upon the Christian organization and work of Jehovah’s witnesses in Santo Domingo. During the long six years of the ban they had given special proof that the national government had nothing to fear from them, but that they were peaceable Christians, not meddling with other religious elements in the politics of the land but specializing on the ministry of God’s Word in Christlike obedience to God.
Then, on June 30, 1957, a Roman Catholic priest launched an open attack upon Jehovah’s witnesses. Newspapers, radio and sound trucks were all mobilized in the attack. Religious pressure was again brought by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy upon the politicians and governmental leaders to put a stop to the educational work of Jehovah’s witnesses. The Dominican people know that between July 2 and 25 of this year there were 638 inches of space, in double column, occupied in the local newspapers to turn popular sentiment against Jehovah’s witnesses. Examination of all this newspaper publicity discloses that these Christian witnesses of Jehovah, despite their world-wide stand against ungodly communism, were branded as forerunners of communism, seditionists, lawbreakers, insulters of the flag and anthem and institutions of the national state. In disrespect of the holy name of the Most High God they were called Jehovahites, and statements were printed no matter how lying and preposterous they proved to be. All such false statements and accusations were taken up and repeated with added comments over the government-sponsored radio stations.
In the presence of a representative missionary of Jehovah’s witnesses your Major General Espaillat said in a telephone conversation with the acting American ambassador in Ciudad Trujillo: “What they are saying in the newspapers about these people and on the radio forces us to take action against them. So we will pass a law banning them from operating in the country.” This was when the acting American ambassador appealed to the major general not to be too severe with Jehovah’s witnesses. Even before the ban was reimposed on them, violent persecution began against Jehovah’s witnesses. In outlying towns and rural sections officials rounded up local witnesses day and night and began beating and mistreating them. Police and army authorities sought out such defenseless, God-fearing men and women, yes, even children. In one sector whole families were taken to prison and the male members of the families were beaten senseless before their own wives and children.
RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
In the section known as Salcedo, where the beatings took place, three military policemen came to one witness’ home about 5 p.m. with a group of about twenty-five other witnesses, to take her and the rest down to the military prison in Salcedo. On foot they walked about twelve miles, arriving at the prison about 8 p.m. In the prison courtyard the men and women lined up. They were asked if they would sign a statement denying Jehovah’s witnesses and promising to rejoin the Roman Catholic Church. They all refused to sign. Two soldiers now came up and held the men’s arms while a third soldier hit the witnesses of Jehovah with his fists. More than this, they kicked these witnesses and hit them with rifle butts until they bled. Then these witnesses were taken one by one and beaten till they fell exhausted. They were then placed in one cell and their Christian sisters were placed in another. All night long these women could hear the men groaning from their merciless beatings. Next morning about eight o’clock, five of the official servants of the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses, who were in another cell, were taken one after another to an office. The first one taken out was a witness named Negro Jiménez, about sixty-five years of age, the congregation servant at Los Cacaos. Half an hour after being taken to the office he was dragged out by the feet by two soldiers in full view of the other prisoners and was left unconscious on the ground in the patio. Blood was running out of his ears, nose and mouth. He looked as if he were dead.
Next Pedro German, congregation servant at El Jobo, about thirty-five years of age, was taken into the office. He was later helped out by two soldiers and his face showed the marks of a severe beating, as well as his body. His cheek was cut open and bleeding. He was taken into the patio and put back into the cell with the other congregation servants. Then another witness, Angel Angel, a man sixty years old, was taken into the same office. Later he was brought out unconscious, with blood running from his mouth and nose. A cruel beating in the face had done this. About this same time the soldiers threw three or four buckets of water on the unconscious witness, Negro Jiménez. Only when he gasped did they know he was alive. At this sign of life they dragged him into the cell with Pedro German.
After this, two others, Pedro Gonzalez, about sixty years of age, and Porfirio Gonzalez, his son about twenty-five years old, were taken into the office. When these two were brought out the aged Pedro’s face was swollen where he had been beaten; his son Porfirio was unconscious, and so was dragged out by his feet. Blood issued from ears and nose, and later it was found out his eardrum had been broken. For about an hour he remained unconscious. All the beatings covered a period of about four or five hours, after which they were all put back into the cell and locked up again.
The other prisoners were taken out and asked if they would now sign the statement renouncing Jehovah’s witnesses. According to the public press, about twenty-seven of these prisoners signed the statement. In all, there were about a hundred or more in prison. Many who signed the statement were really not Jehovah’s witnesses but merely persons of good will who had attended some of the meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses. Many were minors, small children. Many could not read the statement. The signing took place in the provincial government office in the presence of the governor and other political officials. Those signing were taken about five miles toward their homes in a pickup truck and then set free.
According to the newspapers, another group of twenty-eight who had also signed the statement were forced into a big military truck and taken to the Roman Catholic church. There soldiers with rifles and bayonets took them into the church to hear a religious mass. After this they were put in the truck and taken to their homes and released.
In other towns where there were native Dominican special pioneer publishers of God’s kingdom, the brothers were called into the office of the police chief or the government office and told they had to stop their work and get out of town. Some of these had to leave at night and left their property behind, furniture and clothing, in order to avoid arrest. In larger towns Roman Catholic priests went around to business places asking whether they had any of Jehovah’s witnesses employed and, if so, they would have to fire them right away. One witness who was working in a sugar mill was given two minutes to get out of the office and three hours to get out of town with his family. Four other witnesses were picked up and locked up for a week before any charges were filed against them. Then they were charged with seditious activity against the government.
In your capital city, Ciudad Trujillo, a witness was picked up and kept three days in jail without food. He had thirty-five cents in his pocket, which he spent on candy. That was all the food he had for those three days. He was charged with disrespect for the flag. At the five-minute trial the policeman who brought him in said: “This man did not show disrespect for the flag. I know him and he has always respected the flag.” However, the judge sentenced him to one year in prison and $250 in fine.
We again respectfully call your attention to the instigation on the part of the Roman Catholic clergy behind all this religious persecution. On June 30 the Jesuit priest named Vazquez Sanz lectured over the radio station to start off the campaign of hate against Jehovah’s witnesses. The newspapers published this lecture in which this Jesuit called Jehovah’s witnesses Communists, haters of all order, disrespectful of laws of the Dominican Republic, and many other false things. Besides the newspapers, other prominent men in Santo Domingo also wrote like articles, until finally, by July 29, hundreds of inches of space had been used against Jehovah’s witnesses. Another Roman Catholic priest, named Robles Toledano, is also on record as having given a talk. In it he said Jehovah’s witnesses were a cancerous growth and had to be eradicated from the Dominican Republic.
EXPULSION OF AMERICAN MISSIONARIES
Already on July 8 the American missionaries began to be called to the Security Police office and questioned by your government officer, Arturo Espaillat. Shortly they were told they had to pick up their things and leave as soon as possible, in view of what had been stated in the public press and over the radio. Later the Security Police office showed impatience because these missionaries had not shown any activity toward their leaving the country. Informed that they had already sold most of their things, your official Espaillat said the missionaries could have till the end of July, at which time they would have to get out of the country. On July 30 the missionaries saw the acting American ambassador, Mr. Spalding, and informed him they were not leaving under any circumstances other than deportation. By Mr. Spalding’s arrangement they had an interview with Mr. Baez, secretary of Foreign Relations. Mr. Baez repeated that they would have to leave the country, but if they signed a statement of willingness to obey the laws of the country and to respect the national anthem and the flag, and to have no further connection with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, his office would see if the missionaries could stay. Several days later they presented a statement to the American embassy advising that they would obey all valid laws of the Dominican government that were not out of harmony with God’s law as laid down in the Holy Bible. They would as heretofore respect the national anthem and the flag. The next day Espaillat’s office told them that the statement of the missionaries was too weak, because, said he, all the laws of the Dominican Republic were in harmony with God’s law inasmuch as the president had signed them and the National Senate had passed them.
An article had been published in a Puerto Rican newspaper detailing how the Dominican soldiers had beaten and mistreated our fellow Christians, Jehovah’s witnesses. Calling Mr. Espaillat into your office, you gave him a copy of this newspaper with the persecution article marked in red. On coming out Mr. Espaillat threw this newspaper down on his desk. “This settles it,” he said. “Now we will deport you. How did this information get out of the country?” After some interchange with the missionaries, your Mr. Espaillat said: “If you want to be martyrs, go ahead, but that went out of fashion a thousand years ago. We will send an official down to your apartment and deport you, if that is what you want.” So he advised them to be ready at 4:30 p.m. to leave on the Pan-American plane. At 1 p.m. the official arrived at the missionary home and said they were to leave at 1:30 p.m. Three taxis came with him. With their baggage the missionaries were taken to the airport, where the Delta plane was held up for half an hour. Your government paid for the taxis and bought the tickets for the flight of the missionaries to Puerto Rico. Orders were issued to arrest or shoot any Dominicans that attempted to see the missionaries off at the airport.
PETITION AND CONCLUSION
Under incitement by the Roman Catholic clergy and their supporters the government of Your Excellency has been led to take an action that is a great injustice to our Christian brothers, Jehovah’s witnesses, in your country. The record that your government has made in doing so is fast becoming news around the world and it stands as a testimony against you, calling into question the adherence to the Declaration of Human Rights that has been issued by the United Nations, to which international organization your own country belongs.
Trusting that the government of Your Excellency is capable of better judgment and open to an appeal to rectify this unjust situation, we have addressed to you the foregoing partial review of the matter. Therefore, while gathered together in our thousands in district assembly, we now appeal to Your Excellency to reconsider this matter and then to take the needed steps to lift this ban that your government reimposed upon Jehovah’s witnesses on July 24 and to issue orders to your officials to cease from mistreatment of these harmless Christians. Certainly your government does not relish the fact that it has placed itself in the same class with Communist Russia and its communistic satellites, who persecute and try to destroy Jehovah’s witnesses merely because they worship God according to the dictates of His Holy Word and because they proclaim to all the world that the only hope of mankind is God’s kingdom by Christ. Certainly you do not relish the fact, either, that your government places itself in the category of those who fight against Jehovah God Most High, by fighting against his witnesses. We appeal to you to heed the warning issued to the religious persecutors of Peter and his fellow apostles: “Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to FIGHT AGAINST GOD.” (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 5, verses 38, 39) Jehovah’s Holy Word warns that to fight against God means to suffer destruction without any hope of a resurrection from the dead.
Your government unmistakably knows that, from its own experience with Jehovah’s witnesses up till now, it has nothing to fear from them. According to the report appearing yesterday in the Baltimore Afro-American of August 24, 1957, page 16, Mr. Manuel de Moya, your ambassador to the United States, confirmed the report that your country had deported the ten American missionaries on August 3, and he said that it was “because they were suspected of plotting to overthrow President Hector Trujillo’s government.” This charge is so preposterous that it is ridiculous, and it must provoke a smile on the part of even officials of other responsible governments of the world who are acquainted with Jehovah’s witnesses. Throughout the earth it is known that these Christians have no political ambitions and they do not meddle in politics to any extent. They are looking for God’s kingdom of the heavens to take full control of this earth, and He will do so at the oncoming universal war of Armageddon without his witnesses on earth having to raise even their little finger against any of the governments of this old world. In his Word Jehovah tells his witnesses: “The battle is not yours but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15) Hence Jehovah’s witnesses warn the people now to seek righteousness and peace and to take their stand now for God’s incoming kingdom, that they may not be destroyed with those who fight against Him in the battle of Armageddon.
We appeal to Your Excellency to consider the consequences before Jehovah God of your recent action against his witnesses in your land. If you persist in persecuting these followers of Jesus Christ you will find that you will have to kill off all of them in your land to silence them and put them out of action. But even Jesus Christ their Leader was killed for worshiping Jehovah as God and preaching His kingdom, but God rewarded him with a resurrection from the dead. So Jehovah’s witnesses in the Dominican Republic are not afraid to face death, for they know assuredly that Almighty God has promised to raise them from the dead to eternal life in His new world for their faithfulness to the death. However, we trust that you will refrain from fighting this losing battle against Jehovah God and that at the earliest possible time we may be able to publish to the world by all the many modern means that the Dominican government of Your Excellency has revoked the ban of July 24 and has once again dignified itself by granting to these Christian witnesses of Jehovah the religious freedom that they enjoy in other noncommunist countries of the world. Due notice has been served upon your government by this Resolution. The responsibility is now yours before the Most High God Jehovah. We await your response, not merely by written word but by the action of your government before the judgment bar of God.
Respectfully submitted,
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
Adoption of this Resolution was moved by the chairman of the Baltimore District Assembly:
Malcolm S. Allen
Assembly Chairman
Resolution was seconded by the director of said assembly:
John O. Groh
Assembly Director
UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY THE “LIFE-GIVING WISDOM” DISTRICT ASSEMBLY OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES ON THE AFTERNOON OF THIS TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF AUGUST, 1957.
[The original copy, duly signed and legally notarized, was sent airmail, special delivery, to Generalissimo Trujillo that same Saturday night, August 24, 1957. Copy also duly signed and notarized was presented by special messenger at the Dominican embassy to the United States of America in Washington, D.C., Monday, August 26, 1957.]