Mr. Adee to Mr. Hart.
Washington, August 20, 1898.
Sir: The Department’s No. 259, of February 24, 1897, to Mr. Jacob Sleeper, at that time chargé d’affaires ad interim at Bogota, reviewed the correspondence in the matter of the Panama Star and Herald against the Government of Colombia and instructed him to make [Page 232] known to that Government the offer of the claimants to accept, if payment be made at once, in full settlement, one-third of the sum due under their claim, which, in its entirety, had been approved by this Department.
Notwithstanding its direction to present the offer at once and to urge a final answer to the proposition, which had been telegraphed, the Department has received not even an acknowledgment of its instruction, and consequently has no knowledge as to what action, if any, was taken by Mr. Sleeper. Should your records disclose that he presented the matter, you will urge an early reply. Should you find that he took no action, you will bring the matter at once to the attention of the Colombian Government and endeavor to effect a settlement of it. You may treat the offer of settlement conveyed in Mr. Olney’s instruction as still in force, and inform the Department by telegraph if it is accepted.
Respectfully, yours,