No. 41.
Mr. de Bounder de
Melsbroeek to Mr. Bayard.
Washington, February 3, 1888. (Received February 4.)
Mr. Secretary of State: I hastened to communicate to my Government the note which your excellency was good enough to address to Count d’Arschot under date of 29th July last.
The Belgian Government having since then taken a more active and efficient interest in the success of the international exhibition which is to be opened at Brussels next May, has charged me to officially invite the United States to take part in this great competition, and hopes that the Government of the United States of America will consent by its moral and financial support to aid the country in occupying at that exhibition a position worthy of the marvelous progress which it has realized in the economic world.
I consider it my duty to inform your excellency that the executive committee of the American exhibitors, which is already formed at New York, has designated as its delegate the Hon. John Bigelow, formerly Minister of the United States at Paris.
I avail myself, etc.,