No. 729.
Baron de Fava to Mr. Bayard.

[Translation.]

Mr. Secretary of State: In compliance with the repeated requests of the population of Zoula, to the south of Massowah, which has until now been under the Egyptian flag, although occupied by our irregular troops, the Italian flag has just been hoisted in that locality by a detachment of marines, and an Italian protectorate has been formally established there and proclaimed in the name of the King’s Government.

This protectorate, which has been unanimously approved by the local sheik and the population, is nothing new. It is the official confirmation of a pre-existing state of things. Irregular troops in our service, and sometimes even regular troops, have successively occupied Zoula, evidence of actual possession of which has never been furnished by any other power either before or since the “acte général” of the Berlin Conference of February 26, 1885.

[Page 1058]

In notifying the United States Government of the foregoing, in pursuance of the instructions of my Government and of article 34 of the aforesaid conference, I have the honor to beg your excellency to be pleased to take note of this communication, and to acknowledge its receipt.

Be pleased to accept, etc.,

Fava.