Mr. Eustis to
Mr. Olney.
Embassy of the United States,
Paris, July 18, 1895. (Received July
29.)
No. 337.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit a copy
and translation of Mr. Hanotaux’s letter of the 10th of July, in
answer to mine of the 22d of June, also a copy of my reply.
I considered his letter of the 10th of July so inconclusive and so
unsatisfactory, as compared with his declarations made in previous
communications upon the question of furnishing a copy of the
evidence in the Waller case, that I came to the conclusion that no
result could be accomplished by a continuation of our correspondence
upon this question without further instructions from my
Government.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
337—Translation.]
Mr. Hanotaux to Mr. Eustis.
Mr. Ambassador: In answer to the letter
by which I had addressed to your excellency on the 18th of June
last, the text of the judgment rendered by the court-martial of
Tamatave against Mr. Waller, ex-consul of the United States at
Madagascar, you were kind enough, on the 22d of the same month,
to note the interest you would attach to take cognizance of the
papers of the trial.
I hastened to make known to the minister of war the desire
expressed by your excellency. According to the indications which
have been furnished to me, the documents in question have been
kept at Madagascar, and their sending to Paris will require a
certain delay.
Under these conditions I have the regret of not being in a
position to answer, at present, the communication of your
excellency.
Accept, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No.
337.]
Mr. Eustis
to Mr. Hanotaux.
Embassy of the United States,
Paris, July 15, 1895.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive on
the 12th instant your excellency’s communication in answer to
mine of the 22d of June last, in which you advise me that you
hastened to inform the minister of war of the desire expressed
by me, and that you have been informed that the documents in
question have been preserved in Madagascar, and that their
transmission to Paris will necessitate a certain delay. Your
excellency adds that under these circumstances you regret that
you are not able to reply for the present to my communication,
referring to that of the 22d of June above mentioned.
It is unnecessary for me to repeat to your excellency what has
been the request made by my Government, or to state that, in
view of our previous correspondence, my Government was justified
in believing that its request would be complied with.
It will now hear with surprise that what it considered the most
important documents in the Waller case, namely, the evidence,
have not reached Paris, and that your excellency’s letter of the
10th of July gives no assurance that a copy of them will be
communicated to my Government.
The French Government could not mistake the object of my
Government when its request was first made, and it is with
regret that I have to inform my Government that its confident
expectation as regards this important matter has not yet been
realized, and that its earnest efforts in behalf of an American
citizen have so far been unavailing.
Under these circumstances it only remains for me to transmit to
my Government a copy of your excellency’s letter and of my
reply, and to await further instructions.
I avail, etc.,
