Mr. Gresham to Mr. Bayard.
Washington, November 21, 1893.
Sir: I received late yesterday your dispatch of November 11, and at once addressed a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury requesting the information called for. It may take a few days to makeup a statement which will be satisfactory, but it will be forwarded to you as soon as it is received.
I inclose copy of a note received yesterday from the Japanese minister at this capital.* It will gratify you, no doubt, to know that the Japanese Government is willing to give its adhesion to the regulations recommended by the Paris Tribunal of Arbitration on the condition named.
The President thinks it important that Great Britain and the United States should come to an understanding which will make the regulations practically effective before beginning negotiations for an international [Page 133] agreement between those Governments, Russia and Japan, for the protection of fur seals in the Pacific Ocean north of the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude.
Your dispatch, by telegraph, of the 18th, indicated your belief that Great Britain was meeting you in a proper spirit in your negotiations. This is very encouraging as it is important that an agreement should speedily be reached and announced.
On a visit to the Department yesterday the British ambassador expressed the hope that you and Lord Rosebery would speedily agree upon concurrent action for the protection of the waters embraced within the reported regulations, and that negotiations would immediately follow for an international agreement of the character suggested between the four powers.
I am, etc.,
- Not printed.↩