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Mr. Cambon to Mr. Day.

[Translation.]

EMBASSY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC,

Washington, August 24, 1898.

In order to comply with the wish expressed by the Secretary of State of the United States in his note of August 24, the Embassy of France this day informed the Spanish Government, by cable, that the United States commissioners charged with the arrangements to be made for the evacuation of Cuba were shortly to proceed to Havana, and asked that orders be issued for the removal of mines from that harbor, in the event of this not having already been done.

The Embassy of France will have the honor of communicating to the Department of State the reply of the Spanish Government as soon as it receives it.

Mr. Day to Mr. Cambon.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
AUGUST 26, 1898.

The Secretary of State of the United States has the honor to inform the French Embassy that an inquiry has been made by a firm of ship brokers in the city of New York as to whether an American schooner would be received at Las Palmas, Canary Islands, if cleared for that port. In view of the position taken by this Government in reply to certain inquiries of the Government of Spain as to the reception of Spanish ships in the ports of this country, it is supposed that the schooner in question would be received at Las Palmas if cleared from the United States during the suspension of hostilities. The shippers, however, are unwilling to clear the schooner without a positive assurance to that effect, and as the Department has not as yet received from the Spanish Government a response to its note to the French embassy of the 17th instant, the Secretary of State ventures to express the hope that the French embassy will cause an inquiry to be made of the Spanish Government as to whether the schooner in question will be received at Las Palmas if she should clear for that port pending the suspension of hostilities.

Mr. Day to Mr. Cambon.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, August 26, 1898.

The Secretary of State has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of the ambassador of France of the 22d instant, advising him of the composition of the commission designated on the part of Spain to arrange the details of the evacuation of the Spanish Antilles, and to say in reply that translations thereof have been communicated to the Secretaries of War and the Navy.

Mr. William R. Day has the honor to renew to Mr. Jules Cambon the assurances of his highest consideration.

Mr. Cambon to Mr. Day.

[Translation.]

FRENCH EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, August 29, 1898. Referring to a communication from the honorable Secretary of State of the United States, dated August 24, concerning the approaching departure of the American commissioners charged with settling the details of the evacuation of Cuba, the French embassy has the honor to state that the Spanish Government has given orders to the Havana authorities for the removal of any mines which may still be in that harbor.

In this connection the Madrid cabinet has expressed a wish to know in what kind of vessel the American commission will take passage. It would prefer that it should not be a Federal war vessel, the presence of which, in Havana harbor might, by calling up the recollection of the Maine, give rise to demonstrations which it would not be easy to prevent, and which both parties would evidently be interested in avoiding.

Mr. Cambon to Mr. Day.

[Translation.]

FRENCH EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, August 29, 1898.

The French embassy has just received a telegram from Havana in which Captain-General Blanco expresses the wish to know whether the Federal Government would see any objection to officers of the Spanish army returning singly to Spain by way of the United States.

The French embassy would be much obliged to the Department of State if it would enable it to reply to this question by telegram.

Mr. Cambon to Mr. Day.

[Translation.]

FRENCH EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, August 29, 1898. According to news received at Madrid from the Philippines, the insurrection is spreading more and more in the archipelago. By the help of five vessels at their disposal, the insurgents are said to be threatening various points where the Spanish forts are not able to oppose a successful resistance, and the peaceable population is thus exposed, without defense, to the barbarous treatment of the rebel bands. The Royal Government, whose duty it is to provide for the protection of the life and property of the Spanish subjects in the Philippines, has expressed the wish that the Federal Government be informed of the fears which this situation causes it, and which might be advantageously remedied in the following manner:

The Spanish troops whom the capitulation of the city of Manila has reduced to inaction might be placed at once at the disposal of Spain, who would use them for the defense of the islands against the insur gents.

The minister of state at Madrid thinks that if the United States Government sees any objections to this arrangement, it will, at least, have no reason to oppose the dispatch of troops directly from the peninsula to the Philippines.

Mr. Cambon to Mr. Day.

[Translation.]

EMBASSY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC,

Washington, August 29, 1898.

The French Embassy has been requested to inform the Federal Government that the families of the officers of the garrison of the archipelago of the Ladrones are in a state of entire destitution.

The Spanish Government is confident that as soon as the attention of the Department of State has been called to this painful situation the United States will act in accordance with the feelings of humanity and the responsibility which it has assumed in sending those officers to Manila, and will take the necessary steps to have their families sent to Cavite.

Mr. Moore to Mr. Cambon.

No. 103.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, August 30, 1898. EXCELLENCY: Referring to previous correspondence concerning Mr. Jimenez Zapatero, I have the honor to advise you that he has been released from confinement as a prisoner of war at Fortress Monroe, but that he still remains at the post because of lack of funds.

Accept, etc.,

J. B. MOORE, Acting Secretary.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, September 1, 1898.

The Department of State, replying to the inquiry of the French embassy of the 29th ultimo, has the honor to say that this Government does not, under the present circumstances, object to officers of the Spanish army returning singly to Spain by way of the United States.

Mr. Thiébaut to Mr. Moore.

[Personal.]

FRENCH EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, September 3, 1898.

DEAR MR. MOORE: In reference with the informal note of this Embassy, dated August 29, and with our conversation of this morning, I have the honor to call your attention to the following statements:

From advices received at Madrid, negotiations are said to be carried on by the Federal authorities for the purpose of chartering at Hongkong ships for the transportation to Spain of the Spanish troops surrendered at Manila.

These troops or part thereof are needed by Spain to protect the Philippine Islands in her possession against the insurgents.

A ship with some 700 insurgents on board is said to have left Manila with a view of attacking some of the islands in Spain's possession.

Similar expeditions are said to be preparing in Luzon and starting therefrom with the same purpose; these vessels are flying a flag which has not been recognized by the maritime powers, and are therefore liable of being denounced as pirates.

These expeditions can hardly be carried on without the knowledge of the commander of the American forces in the bay of Manila; as Spain is scrupulously observing the dispositions of the protocol, it is believed by the Spanish Government that the Government of the United States will, on the other hand, cause the hostilities, from whatever quarter, to be suspended in the Philippines pending the peace negotiations.

Yours, most sincerely,

THIEBAUT.

Mr. Moore to Mr. Thiébaut.

[Personal.]

FRENCH EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, September 5, 1898.

DEAR MR. THIÉBAUT: Since the receipt of your informal note of the 29th ultimo and your personal letter of the 3d instant consideration has been given to the matters therein referred to, and pertinent advices have been received from our military and naval commanders in the Philippines.

As the result of our investigations it appears that some of the reports which you have brought to our attention in behalf of the Government at Madrid have no solid foundation, while others relate to matters that occurred before the signing of the protocol of August 12.

The rumor that the authorities of this Government are carrying on negotiations for the purpose of chartering at Hongkong ships for the transportation to Spain of the Spanish troops that surrender at Manila appears to be wholly groundless. No such negotiations have to our knowledge been undertaken. None have been authorized.

In our conversation of the 3d instant you disclaimed any intention on the part of the Spanish Government to impute to the commanders of the American forces at Manila connivance with any recent hostile proceedings of the insurgents. I am now able to say that they have no knowledge of the incidents referred to as having lately taken place at Manila.

As to the rumor that a ship with 700 insurgents on board has lately left Manila with a view to attack some of the islands in the Philippines, we are advised that no insurgent vessel having troops on board has recently left either Manila or Manila Bay. It is stated, however, that about August 10, before the protocol was signed, two vessels with from one to two hundred troops left Manila Bay, destination unknown.

The report that similar expeditions are preparing in Luzon with a hostile purpose against other islands appears also to be inexact. Our advices are to the effect that the insurgents have three or four small vessels, only two of which have guns, and that the largest of these vessels will not carry more than 250 men.

In your informal note of the 29th ultimo it is stated that the Spanish Government suggests that, for the purpose of checking insurgent hostilities, the Spanish troops now held as prisoners of war by the American forces may be placed at the disposal of Spain, to be used against the insurgents; or, if this be objected to, that the Spanish Government

may be allowed to send troops from the peninsula to the Philippines. It can scarcely be expected that this Government would even consider the question of adopting the first alternative, in view of the fact that for some time before the surrender of Manila the Spanish forces in that city were besieged by the insurgents by land while the port was blockaded by the forces of the United States by sea. As to the second alternative, it will be a matter for regret if it should be adopted on the strength of rumors, some of which have been shown to be groundless, while others yet are unconfirmed. The Government of the United States will, through its military and naval commanders in the Philippines, exert its influence for the purpose of restraining insurgent hostilities pending the suspension of hostilities between the United States and Spain.

It would be unfortunate if any act should be done by either Government which might, in certain aspects, be inconsistent with the suspension of hostilities between the two nations, and which might necessitate the adoption of corresponding measures of precaution by the other Government.

Very sincerely, yours,

J. B. MOORE.

Mr. Cambon to Mr. Moore

[Translation.]

EMBASSY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC,

Washington, September 6, 1898.

The Ambassador of France has the honor to inform the Secretary of State of the United States that the Spanish Government has accepted, by way of reciprocity, the proposition for a modus vivendi, as regards navigation, which formed the subject of the communication of the Department of State of the 17th ultimo.

In consequence of this acceptance, and in order to reply to the inquiry made by the Department of State in its note of August 26, the Royal Government has given to the competent authorities in the Canary Islands the necessary orders to the end that the American schooner which the ship brokers in New York propose to send to Las Palmas may be at perfect liberty to enter that port.

Mr. Cambon avails himself of this occasion to renew to the Hon. J. B. Moore the assurances of his highest consideration.

Mr. Moore to Mr. Cambon.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, September 6, 1898.

By a note of the 29th ultimo, the French embassy communicated to the Department of State a report received from the Spanish Government to the effect that the families of the officers of the garrison of the archipelago of the Ladrones were in a state of destitution; and the embassy was so good as to say that the Spanish Government was confident that as soon as the attention of the Department was called to the painful situation, the United States would act in accordance with

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