Mr. Iddings to Mr. Hay.

No. 70.]

Sir: I have the honor to confirm my telegrama of July 27, and your replya of the 29th, received on the morning of the 30th.

Later in the day, by appointment, I took with me to the foreign office the contents of your instruction in the form of a note. The minister was absent, having been called to the King; but I saw the secretary-general, M. Malvano. He received the communication, read it, and then, remarking that what he said, of course, was not official, expressed disappointment that the State Department would not pursue private detective investigations itself, so that if the Mississippi authorities did not do their full duty, the Federal Government would be prepared to urge them to do so with effect. He thought that hesitation to take such a course was open to suspicion of lack of interest. I referred him again to the correspondence with Baron Fava, as explaining the attitude and powers of the State Department, reassuring him of the desire of the Federal Government to see that complete justice was done to the guilty persons. I am sending you to-day a cablea which expresses M. Malvano’s views, because, while he does not speak with authority, his opinions probably are representative of the real feeling in the foreign office. They are undoubtedly very sore, there, declaring that it is extraordinary that for five cases of lynching no one suffers.

Later.—I have this morning seen the minister for foreign affairs, who thanked me for the assurances of the note of yesterday. While hoping that justice would be done, he said he might confess that he doubted the expressed intentions of the authorities of the State of Mississippi, in view of past experiences. And he read a dispatch from the Italian chargé d’affaires at Washington, saying that, according to his best information, the investigations of the local and State authorities in this matter were feeble. I explained that police investigations were not made manifest until something had been accomplished, and again called his attention to the assurances in your cabled instruction, that the governor of Mississippi was resolved to execute justice if possible, and that the sentiment of the local community sustained him in his purpose.

I have, etc.,

Lewis Morris Iddings.
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