Mr. Merry to Mr. Hill.

No. 696.]

Sir: I have the honor to advise the receipt of a dispatch from the Salvador Government stating that it will accept our offer to arbitrate the Gelbtrunk claim for $22,654.43, jointly with that of the Salvador Commercial Company, provided it be allowed thirty days from the date upon which you accede to the request as notified to this legation by cable, this period being claimed as necessary to collect and translate the evidence which the Salvador Government desires to present. * * * I presume that you will agree to the request regarding the Gelbtrunk claim, and, if agreeable, shall expect on receipt hereof your cablegram to that effect, which I shall promptly transmit to the minister of foreign affairs at San Salvador, the thirty days allowed commencing from the date of your cablegram to this legation.

I respectfully forward herewith copy and translation of dispatch from the minister of foreign relations of Salvador conveying above request.

With assurances, etc.,

William Lawrence Merry.
[Inclosure.—Translation.]

Mr. Trigueros to Mr. Merry.

Mr. Minister: I have the honor to refer to your excellency’s dispatch dated January 28 last, relative to the calling of the attention of this Government to the Gelbtrunk claim for $22,654.43, arising from merchandise taken by the troops of the [Page 875] Government, who, in your excellency’s opinion, should be responsible for that amount, because, this claim being founded upon an unjust act of the State, this Government is responsible for the payment of an indemnity whose amount appears fully established. Your excellency adds that, having accepted arbitration in the case of the Salvador Commercial Company, you desire to apply the principle to this question and that the Gelbtrunk case be submitted to the same arbitrators as the claim of the Salvador Commercial Company, provided that this Government gives prompt consent, since otherwise your excellency advises having instructions to ask the early payment of that sum.

In reply I have the honor to advise your excellency that my Government accepts the friendly proposition of the United States Government regarding the submission to the court of arbitrators who will act in the claim of the Salvador Commercial Company the matter of Mrs. Gelbtrunk, provided that there be granted to both parties a period of one month to present their proofs, a period that should count from the acceptance of this first request by the Government of your excellency, since my Government needs this fixed term to collect, prepare, translate into English, and to send to Washington to our lawyers some documents that should be proofs of its rights before the arbitrators.

If your excellency accepts this period that I request, since that marked by Article III of the protocol of arbitration is about to expire, I beg that you will please advise by telegraph, if you approve, with the purpose that the term of thirty days to which I have made reference begins to count from that date.

I am pleased to renew, etc.,

José Trigueros.