Mr. Dudley to Mr. Hay.
Lima, May 28, 1901.
Sir: I have the honor to append copy of telegrama I sent the Department on the 26th, instant reporting Peru’s offer of 8,000 soles in settlement of the claim of Mr. James H. Hayball, a citizen of the United States, for loss of property suffered by him during the Cáceres revolution of 1885; and a copy of the Department’s telegrama of to-day authorizing its acceptance.
I also inclose herewith a copy and translation of the note of Dr. Osma, the Peruvian foreign minister, containing the proposal, and a copy of the acceptance I have just sent him.
Preliminary to acting upon the foreign minister’s offer I had the claimant come to Lima to give me his views. As often happens in such cases, the valuation of the animals taken and of the damage to his garden proved to have been exaggerated. Placing, at my request, a conservative valuation upon the various items of loss complained of, it appeared from his statement that the total was between 8,000 and 9,000 soles. It is to be remarked that the estimate omits from consideration all claim to interest during the years indemnity has been withheld. Nevertheless, the claimant expressed himself as highly pleased with the offer, and I accordingly cabled the message above mentioned. It is pleasant to me to be able to add that the present foreign minister treated the reclamation not only without evasion but with candor and a fairness which is more or less apparent, eliminating the interest question, from the near coincidence of his compromise offer with the claimant’s present estimate.
I have, etc.,