Mr. Newel to Mr. Hay.

No. 327.]

Sir: Referring to Department instruction No. 255, dated September 25, 1900, relating to the submission to arbitration of the claims of certain American vessels against the Russian Government, I have the honor to confirm on the overleaf my cablegram2 of this date, and in this regard to state that immediately upon receipt of the instruction I communicated with the Russian minister and in response thereto his excellency made an appointment with me for this morning.

The Russian minister informs me this morning that he has had no instructions in the matter from his Government, nor has he heard anything [Page 799] on the subject; that he attributes this to the absence of the Czar with the minister for foreign affairs from St. Petersburg, that he does not feel it right for him to take any steps in the premises, but that immediately upon the receipt of any instruction from his Government he will advise me thereof. He does not consider it proper for him even to communicate with his Government on the matter before it has communicated with him.

I have, etc.,

Stanford Newel.
  1. Printed ante.