Mr. Russell to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Caracas, June 30,
1901.
No. 634.]
Sir: In accordance with your instructions I
directed an official note to the foreign office asking for an
explanation in regard to the loss of the legation’s telegram to Consular
Agent Balz, at Barcelona, last October.
The foreign minister officially inquired of the minister of fomento, who
in turn sought an explanation from the director-general of the national
telegraph service, and the latter official replied, which reply I
herewith inclose as embodied in a copy of a letter from the minister of
fomento to the minister of foreign affairs.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure—Translation.]
The Minister of
Fomento to the Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
Ministry of Fomento, Department of Mails and
Telegraphs,
Caracas, June 15,
1901.
To the Honorable Minister of Foreign
Affairs: Referring to your attentive communication of the
12th of the present month, No. 715, D. P. E., I have the honor to
herewith forward a copy of a note received in this ministry from the
director-general of the national telegraph, as follows:
“[L. S. No. 193—90th and 43d.]
“ Caracas, June 15, 1901.
“To the Honorable Minister of
Fomento: On the 13th of the present month, upon the
receipt of your note, steps were taken to investigate the
matter therein referred to, and it is found that the
telegram for Mr. Balz was dispatched without delay from the
office in this city; but as in one of the intermediate
stations there was a considerable interruption on account of
the heavy rains the telegram in question remained in said
station until the lines could be repaired, which it was
intended to do immediately. For this reason the sender was
not notified. The continued heavy rains increased the work
of repairs, and shortly after came the earthquake
catastrophe of October 29. All the offices in the east were
damaged very considerably, and in some even the archives
were lost; so that the telegram in question had to suffer
the fate of all the rest that had accumulated on account of
the interruptions in the service above mentioned; and in
those days of panic and fright it was impossible for the
operators to submit their usual reports, by which the
existence of the telegram in one of the intermediate offices
would have been known, and the sender
[Page 541]
would have been advised of the
delay in transmission. You will see that the cause of the
loss of the telegram was not due to any irregularity in the
telegraph service, but was one of those things that it was
impossible to prevent. The same thing happened to many other
telegrams, many of an official character in regard to
affairs of administration, and also in connection with
department of finance. God and the Federation.
“Vicente
Valarino.”
From the foregoing report you will see that unforeseen and
unavoidable circumstances caused the loss of the telegram referred
to, and I sincerely hope that the explanation given will be
satisfactory to the legation of the United States. God and the
Federation.
