Mr. Pruyn to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I beg to call your attention to the necessity of an occasional visit of a United States war vessel in the waters of Venezuela.
It is needless to enlarge on the desirableness of such a step. If the department would be pleased to instruct this legation to keep up a communication with the commanding officer of our naval forces in the West Indies, and if that officer should receive instructions from the Navy Department to keep this legation informed, from time to time, as to the whereabouts of the vessels of his squadron, it would, I believe, be easy [Page 962] for this legation to obtain the presence of a man-of-war in these waters when necessity might require. And the naval forces might also be relieved from the trouble and expense of paying useless visits here when not required.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.