Mr. Barrett to Mr. Sherman.

No. 222.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the Siamese foreign minister and myself, after communication with Sir Nicholas J. Hannen, and the Cheek estate, have postponed the date of arbitration in the Cheek case to February 1, 1898. I trust that this date will be acceptable to the Department, as it is to all others concerned.

As can be seen by correspondence inclosed in my No. 221, of this date, the postponement was readily arranged. The reasons for this step, founded on conditions explained in my 216, and authorized in Department’s telegram of July 13, can be briefly summarized as follows:

In consequence of the Department’s instructions, Mr. Kellett must remain here until my return from Cheangmai. Supposing I am able to leave within the next ten days, I shall not reach Cheangmai until approximately August 31.

The work to be done at Cheangmai can hardly be accomplished in less than fifteen days.

Returning with all speed I may be able to get back by October 1, as one can come down in about one-half the time required to go up.

Supposing Mr. Kellett leaves for Cheangmai one week after my arrival, he will not reach Cheangmai until about November 10.

To get the evidence, which is apparently of greatest importance, he will require nearly two months in and out of the forests, and could not leave Cheangmai until well into January and hence not reach Bangkok until the last of January.

The Siamese foreign minister agreed with me as to the necessity of this delay, as otherwise the administrator (through Mr. Kellett) could not possibly make a definite report on the administration of the Cheek estate during this year in response to the Siamese Government’s demand that the administration of the estate be included in the arbitration.

We first asked Sir Nicholas J. Hannen to agree to a postponement until February 15, 1898, but as February 1 is his latest date we have agreed thereto.

I would simply add that I should have started for Cheangmai long before this, were it not for the characteristic slowness of the Siamese Government in negotiating the Cheek protocol.

I have the honor, etc.,

John Barrett,
Minister Resident.