Mr. Thomas to Mr. Hay.
Stockholm, November 5, 1900.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt this day of your instruction No. 96 of October 23 last, and inclosed correspondence, showing substantial agreement between the Government of the United States, Great Britain, and Germany, parties to the convention of November 7, 1899, for the settlement of certain claims in Samoa by arbitration, permitting those of all foreigners arising out of the military operations in Samoa to be submitted to arbitration, since His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway has expressed a willingness to consider them in connection with the claims of citizens or subjects of the three treaty powers.
I lost no time in calling upon and conferring with my British and German colleagues at Stockholm on the subject.
The British minister informs me that he is instructed to convey to [Page 901] His Majesty the assent of Great Britain to the admission of the claims of French citizens to the arbitration (but of no others) whenever his American and German colleagues convey a like assent.
The German chargé d’affaires ad interim states that he has received no instructions concerning any claims outside of those of citizens or subjects of the three treaty powers.
Each of my colleagues has agreed to write to his Government to-morrow requesting instructions upon the subject. Should both or either of them receive like instructions to my own I will immediately carry out your directions in full by acquainting His Majesty, in a simultaneous note to the minister for foreign affairs, of the assent of the United States to the admission of the claims of all foreigners arising out of military operations in Samoa to arbitration, subject to the conditions expressed in your instructions, and will at once inform you of my action.
I have, etc.,