No. 178.
[Extract.]
Mr. Bancroft to Mr.
Fish
No. 249.]
American Legation, Berlin, July
29, 1871. (Received August 18.)
Sir: This day, at a quarter before 1, I took the
British chargé in my carriage to the Foreign Office, where we delivered
simultaneously formal notes, identical in terms, addressed to Prince
Bismarck, chancellor of the empire, requesting the German Emperor to accept
the office of arbiter on the northwestern boundary question, under the
treaty of Washington. I annex a copy of the note.
* * * * * * *
I remain, &c.,
Mr. Bancroft to Prince Bismarck
American Legation, Berlin,
July 29, 1871.
The Government of the United States of America and the government of Her
Britannic Majesty having agreed, by a Treaty signed at Washington the
8th of May, 1871, of which a copy is hereunto annexed, together with a
copy of the previous treaty of June 15, 1846, herein referred to, to
submit to the arbitration and award of His Majesty the Emperor of
Germany the decision of the question set forth in the thirty-fourth
article of the first-named treaty, in the following words: [Here follows
verbatim the entire article thirty-fourth, of the first-mentioned
treaty.] And the high contracting parties reposing entire confidence in
the spirit of justice and impartiality which distinguishes His Imperial
Majesty, the common friend of the two states, having agreed in pursuance
of the said treaty to address themselves to His Imperial Majesty; and
having further mutually engaged, in the event of His Imperial Majesty
being willing to afford his good offices as arbitrator, on this
occasion, to consider the award of His Imperial Majesty as absolutely
final and conclusive, and to give effect to the same without any
objection, evasion, or delay whatsoever, the undersigned has received
the orders of his Government to communicate to His Imperial Majesty the
treaty which has thus been made on the part of the United States, and to
express the earnest desire
[Page 401]
of
the President of the United States that His Imperial Majesty will be
pleased to take upon him the office of arbitrator in the question.
The undersigned has the honor to request His Serene Highness the Prince
Bismarck to lay this communication before His Majesty the Emperor of
Germany, and to be pleased to make known to the undersigned His Imperial
Majesty’s determination with regard to his acceptance of the desired
arbitration. The undersigned seizes this opportunity to renew to His
Serene Highness Prince Bismarck the assurances of his highest
consideration.