No. 254.
Mr. Evarts
to Mr. Comly
.
Washington , August 6, 1878.
Sir: Your dispatch No. 43, of the 8th ultimo, has been received. You report that Mr. Carter, the special envoy from Hawaii to England and Germany, had succeeded in inducing the German Government to yield the point assumed by those governments, that the most favored nation clause in their treaties with Hawaii entitled them to equal privileges in regard to imports with those obtained by the United States by the reciprocity treaty with the same country, and that no definite understanding had been reached with England, although it was probable that the proposition made by that government would be accepted. You also report that there exists among the natives a suspicion that the United [Page 406] States desire to annex the Hawaiian Islands, which is encouraged and made use of by the opposition party.
In reply I have to state that the note which you addressed to the minister for foreign affairs, claiming that by the “parity clause of the ordinary form of treaty” other nations were not entitled to the same privileges as were conceded to the United States by the reciprocity treaty with Hawaii, is in accordance with the views of this Department; and that the assurance given by that officer in his reply, that the Government of Hawaii would take care that the integrity of the treaty should not be impaired in any respect, is satisfactory, and it is hoped that this promise may be strictly carried out.
You will endeavor to disabuse the minds of those who impute to the United States any idea of further projects beyond the present treaty.
I am, &c.,