Mr. Hay to Mr. Choate.
Washington , May 9, 1902 .
Sir: In its No. 743, of October 14 last, the Department instructed Mr. White to “express the great pleasure with which this Government recognizes the valuable aid courteously extended by His Majesty’s agency at Sofia, in the absence of direct representation of the United States in Bulgaria which has now been supplied, and to ask that our grateful thanks be communicated to the agent.”
At the time of writing that instruction the Department did not anticipate that there would be any delay in the recognition by the Bulgarian Government of Mr. Dickinson, who had been appointed to [Page 522] the dual capacity of agent to Bulgaria and consul-general at Constantinople.
It now appears that the Bulgarian Government is disinclined to receive Mr. Dickinson unless the agency to Bulgaria be separated from the consulate-general at Constantinople. This, of course, can be done only by Congress. Meanwhile the United States has no representative in Bulgaria.
I should be pleased to have you explain the situation to Lord Lansdowne, and to formally request him to instruct Mr. Elliot to take charge of United States interests in Bulgaria, as before, until other arrangements are made for our direct representation.
If it should be the pleasure of His Majesty’s Government to comply with this request, it is the hope of this Department that Mr. Eliot will communicate freely with it and with the United States minister at Constantinople on all matters on which he may require to do so.
I am, etc.,