Office of the Historian

Mr. Hay to Mr. Sherman.

Embassy of the United States,
London, October 6, 1897.
No. 137.]

Sir: I received your cabled instruction of the 25th on Sunday, the 26th. On Monday morning I arranged for an interview with Mr. Villiers at the foreign office, as Lord Salisbury is still absent from London. I communicated to Mr. Villiers the substance of your instruction, of which he took note, and, after some conversation, he said, he would write to Lord Salisbury by that day’s post and hoped to have an answer on the following day. He added, however, that it might be necessary to consult the colonial office, in which case a delay of a day or two would be possible.

During the week 1 made several inquiries, direct and indirect, which merely developed .the fact that an interchange of views was going on between the foreign and colonial offices, which consumed a good deal of time owing to the absence of Mr. Chamberlain in Italy, Lord Salisbury not being willing to decide the matter without the full assent of the colonial authorities. On Saturday night I received your cabled instruction of that date, which I answered the next day; both telegrams are inclosed in this dispatch.

On Monday I went to the foreign office and saw Mr. Villiers. I represented to him how urgent was the necessity that my Government should receive a definite answer in regard to the conference. He went into detail as to the communications which had been passing between Lord Salisbury, Mr. Chamberlain, and the colonial office, showing that it had been impossible to give us an answer up to that date. He again assured me that every effort would be made to reply definitely to our inquiries on Tuesday or Wednesday.

To-day I received a note from Mr. Villiers, a copy of which I inclose, informing me that Mr. Adam has been instructed by telegraph to communicate [Page 306] to you the decision of the British Government not to take part in a conference at which Russia and Japan were to attend.

I have, etc.,

John Hay.
[Inclosure in No. 137.]

Mr. Villiers to Mr. Hay.

Foreign Office, October 6, 1897.

My Dear Ambassador: I have the honor to inform you that late last night a telegram was sent to Mr. Adam instructing him to point out to the United States Government that if Russian and Japanese delegates were to attend this would alter the character and objects of the meeting of experts nominated by Great Britain, the United States, and Canada, to which assent was given in Lord Salisbury’s note of July 28.

Mr. Adam is therefore to express the great regret of Her Majesty’s Government that it will not be possible for them to send a delegate to a meeting so constituted. Moreover, they do not see that either Russia or Japan could take part usefully in such a meeting of experts to consider the condition of the seal herd frequenting the Pribilofs. But if the Russian and Japanese Governments should so desire, Her Majesty’s Government see no objection to furnishing them with copies of the proceedings of the meetings of the United States and British experts.

I beg to remain, etc.,

F. H. Villiers.