Mr. Woodford to Mr. Sherman.
Madrid , April 21, 1898 .
Sir: I have the honor to report that I have this morning telegraphed to the consul-general at Barcelona that Spanish Government have broken off diplomatic relations and instructing him and all our consular officers to turn their respective consulates over at once to British consuls and then to leave Spain.
I read to Mr. Barclay, the British chargé d’affaires at Madrid, the [Page 768] note which I had received from the Spanish minister of foreign affairs this morning, and said:
This communication breaks diplomatic relations between Spain and the United States. It now becomes my duty, in obedience to the instructions of my Government, to place this legation and all American interests and citizens in Spain in the care of Her British Majesty’s Government. I thank you personally for your own great courtesy and kindness in this matter, and I beg you to express to your Government the sincere appreciation of the Government and the people of the United States.
I then removed the United States escutcheon from the front of the legation offices. The legation, its archives, and library are now in the custody of the British embassy.
Having thus completed all arrangements, I addressed the following note to the Spanish minister of foreign affairs:
I have, etc.,