Office of the Historian

Mr. Bryan to Mr. Sherman.

Legation of the United States,
Petropolis, April 29, 1898.
No. 15.]

Sir: I have the honor to confirm your telegram of April 26, as follows:

Washington, April 26, 1898.

Bryan, Minister, Rio:

A joint resolution of Congress, approved April 20, directed intervention for the pacification and independence of the island of Cuba. The Spanish Government on April 21 informed our minister at Madrid that it considered this resolution equivalent to a declaration of war, and that it had accordingly withdrawn its minister from Washington and terminated all diplomatic relations. Congress has therefore to-day declared that a state of war exists between the two countries since and including April 21. You will inform the Government to which you are accredited so that its neutrality may be assured in the existing war.

Sherman.

And to state that upon the receipt of same I called upon the minister for foreign affairs and verbally informed him of its receipt and of its contents. He told me he would communicate at once with the President of the Republic and assured me that his Government would observe a strict and impartial neutrality.

I have the further honor to confirm my cipher telegram to you stating this fact, as follows:

Petropolis, April 27, 1898.

Sherman, Washington:

Brazilian minister for foreign affairs verbally assures impartial neutrality.

Bryan.

I also in a written note, of which I inclose a copy, made a formal communication to the same effect, and received a reply expressing the regret of the Brazilian President that a peaceful solution had not been possible, and stating that Brazil would maintain a neutral position during the continuance of hostilities. I inclose copy thereof.

I have, etc.,

Charles Page Bryan.
[Inclosure—Translation.]
Foreign Office,
Rio de Janeiro, April 27, 1898.

I have before me the note which Mr. Charles Page Bryan, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, directed to me on the 26th instant, bringing to my attention the communication he had received from his [Page 846] Government concerning the motive that had determined Congress to declare a state of war existing with Spain, beginning with the 21st day of this month.

His Excellency the President of the Republic, to whom I presented the said communication, regrets sincerely that the question which has caused the breaking off of diplomatic relations between the two countries could not have been solved by pacific means, and has charged me to declare that Brazil will observe the strictest neutrality during this war.

I have, etc.,

Dionisio E. de Castro Cerqueira.