American Embassy,
Rome, December 25,
1902.
No. 218.]
A copy of the official note upon which this telegram was based is
inclosed herewith with a translation.
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Mr. Prinetti to
Mr. Meyer.
Mr. Ambassador: Your excellency has, within
the last few days, informed me, first verbally and afterwards in
your note of the 19th instant, concerning the proposal
[Page 605]
of the Venezuelan
Government to settle, through arbitration, the controversies which
have resulted in the present action of the Governments of Italy,
Germany, and England. As I said to your excellency at our first
interview, His Majesty’s Government always prefers a peaceful
solution of every controversy which may arise, and accepts,
therefore, very willingly, the suggestion that the present conflict
be submitted to arbitration.
Having the most unbounded confidence in the great wisdom and rigid
impartiality of the President of the United States, we should be
very glad if the office of arbitrator of the claims which the
Governments of Italy, Germany, and England have against Venezuela
might be assumed by Mr. Roosevelt. However, if President Roosevelt
is unwilling to act, we for our part should have no objection to
submit the claims of the three governments to the permanent court of
The Hague.
As regards the matter of the arbitration, we have for our part two
conditions of a general kind to announce, which are as follows, viz:
- First. That the arbitration procedure shall be extended to
all our claims against Venezuela, so as to leave nothing for
further dispute.
- Second. That our claims shall receive precisely the same
treatment and guaranties as the claims of the other powers
receive.
I pray your excellency to bring kindly and speedily the above
statements to the knowledge of your Government, and I avail,
etc.
