Mr. Olney to Mr. Calvo.

No. 30.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 6th instant, with its accompaniments, asking the appointment by the President of the United States, under the provisions of the convention between Costa Rica and Nicaragua concluded at San Salvador March 27, 1896, for the purpose of tracing and making the boundary line between those Republics, of an engineer, whose duty, in conjunction with the commission to be appointed by the Governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, as defined by Article II of the convention aforesaid, is to be as follows:

Whenever, in the execution of their duty, the two commissioners of Costa Rica and Nicaragua shall disagree, the point or points of difference shall be submitted to the decision of the engineer appointed by the President of the United States of America. Said engineer shall have ample authority to decide any kind of difference that may arise, and his decision shall be final as to the disputed point.

Pursuant to the treaty stipulations aforesaid and to the request of the two Governments concerned, as expressed by their diplomatic representatives, respectively, it has afforded the President pleasure to appoint as such engineer Mr. E. P. Alexander, of Georgetown, S. C.

I inclose a duly authenticated copy of Mr. Alexander’s appointment.

Accept, Mr. Minister, etc.,

Richard Olney.