Mr. McCormick to Mr. Hay.
Vienna, June 30, 1902.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Department’s No. 46 acquainting me, as previously done by cable of the 29th ultimo, that the President has appointed me, by and with the consent of the Senate, to be ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States to Austria-Hungary, and inclosing my commission in that capacity and the letter of credence, with office copy, addressed to His Majesty the Emperor, and also inclosing new letters of credit in duplicate and oath of office.
The office copy of the letter of credence I sent to the foreign office, at the same time asking that I be granted an audience with His Majesty for the purpose of presenting the original. In my note inclosing the office copy I embodied a copy of the address which I proposed to make to His Majesty the Emperor, and which reads as follows:
It is with peculiar pleasure and pride that I present my letter of credence to Your Majesty as the first ambassador of the United States near Your Majesty’s court. Heretofore it has been considered possible to raise the rank of a legation of the United States to that of an embassy only after that step had been actually taken by the Government to which the representative thus promoted was accredited.
It having been found within the provisions of the law, the President has appointed and the Senate confirmed me as ambassador to Your Majesty’s court, in recognition of the friendly intention of Your Majesty’s Government, as expressed through Your Majesty’s envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Washington, without waiting for a similar action on its part, as well as to emphasize the wish for a continuance of the cordial relations existing between the two Governments, and to express the high regard and esteem in which Your Majesty is held by the people and Government of the United States.
I am charged by the President, Mr. Roosevelt, to convey to Your Majesty, as I conveyed on behalf of the late President, Mr. McKinley, the strongest assurances of his high personal esteem and best wishes, with the prayerful hope that Your Majesty may long be spared in health to rule over the peoples to whose welfare Your Majesty’s reign has so notably contributed.
I was received in audience by the Emperor on the 26th instant, when I read the short address above quoted. The Emperor responded that he fully appreciated the sentiment expressed by the action of the President and the Senate in raising the rank of this mission to that of embassy in the exceptional manner which I had explained to him.
He also desired me to say that he heartily reciprocated the kind feelings manifested by this act, as well as the good wishes which I had expressed on behalf of the President and Government of the United States; that he was pleased that I had been chosen as the first ambassador to reside near his court; I was personally most acceptable to him, and he had learned that I had established most agreeable relations with the officials of his Government, which would be valuable in cementing the friendly ties which he hoped would continue to bind the two countries [Page 32] together; that he appreciated the high position to which the United States had attained as a world power and hoped that the blessing of peace and prosperity might long be continued to its people.
On this occasion the following gentlemen were presented to His Majesty:
- Mr. Chandler Hale, first secretary of embassy.
- Capt. Floyd W. Harris, military attaché.
- Commander W. H. Beehler, naval attaché.
I have, etc.,