The Austro-Hungarian minister to the Secretary of State.
Washington, April 22, 1898.
Mr. Secretary of State: I have the honor, Mr. Secretary of State, to inform you that Mr. Polo y Bernabé, in carrying out the direction of his Government with respect to his departure from Washington, has simultaneously intrusted to the French ambassador and myself the protection of Spanish subjects and interests in the United States.
[Page 786]In order to simplify in practice the carrying out of this commission, which our Governments have accepted, the French ambassador and I have agreed in common upon the following rules:
- 1.
- The archives of the Spanish legation in Washington will be left on deposit in the Austro-Hungarian legation.
- 2.
- The custody of the archives and the protection of Spanish interests in New York and Chicago will be intrusted to the local Austro-Hungarian consuls-general, and in New Orleans, Philadelphia, and San Francisco to the French consulates.
- 3.
- In those places where only one of the two countries has a representative, the latter will assume the protection of Spanish interests; in those places where both are represented only by consular agents, such protection will be exercised through the French agents.
- 4.
- Questions the settlement of which may call for representations to the Department of State will be acted upon either by the French ambassador or by me, accordingly as the initiative thereof shall have been taken through a French or an Austro-Hungarian consul.
- 5.
- In all other cases the French ambassador will take exclusive charge of the proceedings with the Government of the Union.
I to-day send the appropriate instructions to the Austro-Hungarian consulates, and I will be very grateful to you, Mr. Secretary of State, if you will be pleased to invite the competent authorities to extend to them, the case arising, the necessary assistance.
Accept, etc.,