Office of the Historian
No. 12.
Count Leyden to Mr. Bayard.
[Translation.]
Imperial German Legation,
Washington, November 17, 1885. (Received November 19.)

Mr. Secretary of State:

I have the honor most respectfully to acknowledge the receipt of your polite note of the 7th instant, whereby you inform me that the Department of Justice of the United States has decided in the matter of the application of the provisions of section 14 of the act relative to navigation of June 26, 1884, to German vessels, that the reduction of tonnage duties which is provided for a specified region is of a purely geographical character, and that the most favored nation clause can consequently have no application in this case.

I have the honor, at the same time, to inform you that I have brought the contents of your aforesaid note to the notice of the Imperial Government.

Accept, etc.,

Count Leyden.