Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 6, 1897

Mr. Calvo to Mr. Olney.

Legation of Costa Rica,
Washington, February 20, 1897.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s note, bearing yesterday’s date, in which your excellency is pleased to inform me that in accordance with the stipulations of the convention between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, concluded in San Salvador on the 27th of March, 1896, for the purpose of tracing and marking the boundary line between the two Republics, and pursuant to the request of the two Governments concerned, His Excellency the President of the United States has had the pleasure of naming Mr. E. P. Alexander, of Georgetown, S. C, as the engineer who, completing the commissions to be appointed by the Governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is to decide the points of disagreement that may arise between such commissions, pursuant to the stipulations of said Convention and the authority on him conferred by the second article thereof.

Your Excellency is pleased to annex a duly authenticated copy of the appointment of Mr. Alexander, which I have also received.

In reply, I have the honor to express to Your Excellency, begging at the same time that you communicate it to His Excellency the President, that the Government of Costa Rica deeply appreciates the important act by which he has once again been pleased to contribute to the solution of questions which Costa Rica has constantly and unremittingly endeavored to settle through just and honorable means; this act being all the more appreciated by my country since thereby the step proposed by my Government to that of Nicaragua ever since November 20, 1892, has been achieved.

Upon conveying thanks to His Excellency the President, through the worthy medium of your excellency, for the appointment of the engineer, Mr. Alexander, and upon expressing them to your excellency for the attention you have been pleased to give this matter, I am gratified to manifest the assurance I entertain that the distinguished engineer appointed will do honor to the worthy name to which the lofty ideas of justice of the eminent Magistrate impart luster, and to that of Tour Excellency, which the world to-day utters with respect.

Be pleased, sir, to accept, etc.,

J. B. Calvo.