Mr. Hay to Mr. Brun.
Washington, March 7, 1902.
Sir: Referring to your note of October 19 last and to subsequent correspondence on the subject, I have now the honor to inform you that the minister of the United States accredited to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Salvador advises the Department, under date of February 20, 1902, that the Government of Salvador gives its consent to the exercise of good offices by United States officers in that country on behalf of Danish subjects residing therein, with the same restrictions and in the same form as their exercise is permitted respecting Chinese subjects.
In the case of Chinese subjects, it was understood that good offices by the minister and consular officers were to be extended without assumption of any representative function as agents of China, their efforts being confined to merely intervening in case of need for the protection of Chinese subjects in their persons or property from unjust or harsh treatment, and that consequently United States officers so acting could not originally certify to the fact of Chinese citizenship for a passport, or other documentary attestation to that end, which could only be issued by a responsible agent of the Chinese Government. A form of certificate to be used by the minister and the consul at San Salvador was prepared, after consultation with the minister for foreign affairs of Salvador, to correctly express the character of the protection afforded, in the following words:
I,—— ——, of the United States of America, certify that—— —— claims to be a subject of the Emperor of China, resident in Salvador, and that upon proving his status as such Chinese subject he is under the protection of the Government of the United States and entitled to the good offices of the diplomatic and consular officers thereof in case of need, in pursuance of an understanding between the Governments of Salvador and China to that end.
The United States officers have been instructed to take the same course with regard to Danish subjects.
Accept, etc.,