Mr Bancroft to Prince Bismarck.
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 order 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 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.