Mr. Hay to Mr. Leishman.
Washington, March 8, 1899.
Sir: In my note addressed to Mr. Pioda, the Swiss minister at Washington, under date of November 21, 1898, I remarked that “Should this Government continue to give to Swiss products gratuitously all [Page 754] advantages which other countries only acquire for an equivalent compensation, it would expose itself to the reproaches of other governments for its exceptional favoritism.”
This apprehension has already been justified by recent international complaints.
I further advised him that it might be necessary, “in case the Governments of the United States and of Switzerland should not be able to agree upon some practicable arrangement of the matter in question, that the President should communicate to your (his) Government, notice of his intention to arrest the operation of the treaty of 1850, or of the clauses of said treaty numbered from VIII to XII.”
In view of the note addressed to you by His Excellency, the President of the Swiss Confederation, under date of the 14th of February last, and of the necessary lapse of time before the ratifications of any new conventional arrangement between the United States and Switzerland can be effected and exchanged, this Government desires now to give notice of the termination of the treaty of 1850, in accordance with Article XVIII of said treaty. You will therefore give the required notification to His Excellency, the President of the Swiss Confederation, of the intention of the United States to arrest the operations of Articles VIII to XII, inclusive, of the convention signed on the 25th day of November, 1850. You may read to him this instruction, and will leave with him a copy of the subjoined announcement. You will, of course, advise this Department of the date on which you shall have given the above notification. The negotiations already initiated at Washington will in the meantime proceed to a conclusion.
I am, etc.,