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  4. Document 354

Mr. Herdliska to Mr. Hay.

United States Legation,
Vienna, September 24, 1900.
No. 135.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that on the morning of the 22d instant I received your open cablegram of the 21st instant, reading as follows:2

* * * * * * *

Immediately upon the receipt of the above cablegram I called at the foreign office, taking with me the original and a copy thereof. In the absence of Count Goluchowski and Count Lützen, I saw the Chevalier de Tavera, formerly Austro-Hungarian minister at Washington, who [Page 307] is now the “referent” or reporter upon Chinese affairs at the foreign office. I read to him the cablegram, of which I handed him the copy, adding that I should be glad if he could give me the information respecting the replies sent by the Austro-Hungarian Government to the three communications mentioned in the cablegram. He said he was not in a position to do this until he had seen the foreign minister, Count Goluchowski. He promised, however, to let me have an answer to-day, the 24th instant.

On my calling at the foreign office at 2 o’clock to-day he gave me a verbal answer. I said I should be much obliged if he would dictate to me this answer in order to avoid all possibility of doubt as to the exact terms of his communication. He thereupon dictated to me, in English, the following particulars, which I took down in pencil:

1.
The Austro-Hungarian Government has accepted the German proposition without reserve.
2.
The foreign office has answered the Russian proposition to the effect that the withdrawal of the Austro-Hungarian legation has practically been executed by the departure of the Austro-Hungarian charge d’affaires from Pekin.
3.
With regard to the proposal of the Chinese Government to enter into negotiations with Austro-Hungary the foreign office has given no answer, because it is of opinion that it ought to be established first whether the plenipotentiaries are able to give sufficient guaranties that any arrangement concluded by them will be executed by their Government.

I have the honor to be, sir,

Charles V. Herdliska, Chargé.
  1. Printed ante.↩