Sir Julian Pauncefote to Mr. Blaine.
Washington, February 6, 1892.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note dated February 4 (but only delivered yesterday evening), in which you inform me that the President has appointed Mr. Mendenhall and Mr. Merriam commissioners on the part of the Government of the United States on the joint commission therein referred to.
Sir George Baden-Powell and Prof. Dawson, whom I had the honor to present to you on the 1st instant, have been duly appointed commissioners on the part of Her Majesty’s Government, and, as I have already stated to you verbally, they are furnished with their credentials in due form.
[Page 609]On the 13th ultimo, at your request. I communicated to the Marquis of Salisbury, by telegraph, your desire that the British commissioners should proceed at once to Washington. Accordingly Sir George Baden-Powell left England for that purpose by the first steamer and arrived here with Dr. Dawson on the 1st of the month. They have been waiting ever since to be placed in communication with the United States commissioners, and I trust that arrangements will be made for the meeting of the commission on Monday next for the purpose indicated in the last paragraph of your note under reply, although the British commissioners came prepared not for an informal conference, but to proceed officially to business.
I have, etc.,