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  4. Document 933

Mr. Newel to Mr. Hay.

Legation of the United States,
The Hague, October 18, 1900.
No. 338.]

Sir: I have the honor to report that I met the Russian minister at 2 o’clock to-day and we wrote identical notes inviting Mr. Asser, member of the council of state of the Netherlands, to act as arbitrator in connection with the claims of American citizens for the seizure of their vessels in the North Pacific Ocean by Russia, and at 3 o’clock this afternoon we called together upon Mr. Asser and simultaneously left these invitations.

[Page 801]

The Russian minister had been instructed by Count Lamsdorff, as Russian minister of foreign affairs, to deliver with his invitation a copy of the protocol in French, and after carefully comparing his copy with the copy in English which I had, we agreed that he should leave his copy in French with his note and I should leave my copy in English with my note, and then each furnish the other with a copy of that sent by him, which we did.

I append on the overleaf a copy of my note of invitation to Mr. Asser in French, with a translation thereof.

I will add that Mr. Asser hopes to receive the first memorandum soon, as he will have some leisure time during the next two months which he will gladly devote to this matter.

I have, etc.,

Stanford Newel.
[Inclosure.—Translation.]

Mr. Newel to Mr. Asser.

Legation of the United States,
The Hague, October 18, 1900.

Mr. Councilor: Referring to the interview which the Russian minister and myself had with you on September 26 (October 9) of the current year, I have the honor, at the instruction of my Government and in agreement with the Russian minister, to send you the invitation from my Government to act as arbitrator in connection with the claims of the schooners James Hamilton Lewis, C. H. White, Kate and Anna, their charterers, owners, officers, and crews, arising out of their detention or seizure by Russian cruisers on the charge of having been illegally engaged in fur-seal fishing, and the claim of the whaling bark Cape Horn Pigeon, its charterers, owners, officers, and crew, arising out of their detention or seizure by a Russian vessel.

I have the honor at the same time to hand you a copy of the identical declaration1 exchanged by our Governments at St. Petersburg on August 26 (September 8) of the current year.

Accept, etc.,

Stanford Newel.
  1. Printed under Russia, p. 883.↩