Lord Salisbury to Mr. White.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 1st instant, in which you invite my good offices with a view of obtaining the consent of Her Majesty’s Government to the departure from Falmouth, where she has been stored since the outbreak of the war, of the U. S. torpedo boat Somers. You add that you are instructed by the United States Government to give an assurance that in the event of hostilities being resumed with Spain, which would now appear to be highly improbable, the Somers will not be made use of.
In view of this assurance I have the honor to state that Her Majesty’s Government are glad to comply with your request, and that the necessary instructions will at once be sent to the proper authorities in order to facilitate the departure of the vessel.
I have, etc.,
(For the Marquis of Salisbury.)