Mr. Lardy to Mr. Hill.
Washington, July 25, 1901.
Mr. Assistant Secretary of State:
In reply to the note you addressed to Mr. Pioda, under date of June 15 last, in regard to the protection to be granted by the representatives of the United States to two Swiss citizens, Messrs. Cérésole and Du Souchet, I am instructed by my Government to thank you for the kind dispositions you have been pleased once more to evince toward Swiss citizens who might apply for protection to diplomatic or consular agents of the United States of America in countries where Switzerland is not represented.
The Federal Council leaves each one of its citizens who may settle in a country where the Confederation has no diplomatic or consular agent entirely free to place himself under the protection of such power as he sees fit, and has therefore no objection to the representatives of the United States at Cairo and at Alexandria being instructed to comply [Page 508] with the request of Dr. E. Cérésole and A. du Souchet and to enter their names in their list of protégés.
Yet, as the protection afforded by the United States of America to Swiss citizens is confined, when granted, to extending to them their unofficial good offices, while Germany and other powers make absolutely no distinction, in this connection, between the Swiss protégés and their own people, it would be desirable that in each individual case Swiss citizens who apply for the protection of the United States of America be expressly warned of the fact that the protection of representatives of the United States is limited, and particularly that the latter are under no circumstances permitted to intervene officially in their behalf with the authorities of the country to which they are accredited.
Be pleased, etc.,