Mr. Hay to Mr. Jackson.

No. 1, Roumanian series.]

Sir: The Department’s instruction No. 14, of July 17 last (Roumanian series), to your predecessor, presented for his guidance in the negotiation of a naturalization treaty with Roumania, certain considerations having special reference to the Jews in that country.

The refusal of the Roumanian King, reported in Mr. Wilson’s unnumbered dispatch of August 6 last (Roumanian series), to consider the project of a naturalization treaty with the United States, made that instruction ineffective.

With its No. 15, of August 23 last, same series, the Department inclosed, for the legation’s information, a copy of a circular instruction which it addressed, on August 11, 1902, to the diplomatic representatives of the United States to the governments parties to the treaty of Berlin of July 13, 1878, and which they were directed to bring to the attention of the governments concerned, and to commend to their consideration, in the hope that they would take such measures as to them might seem wise to persuade the Government of Roumania to reconsider the subject of the grievances of Jews in that country.

It is the President’s desire that you should, on your first visit to Roumania, discreetly and cautiously endeavor to learn whether the considerations so presented to them have resulted in any representations to the Roumanian Government by the powers, either separately or jointly, looking to the amelioration of the oppressed condition of the Roumanian Jews and the observance of the principles of the Berlin treaty.

The matter is one in which the President has deep interest, and the Department would be pleased to have you furnish it with all information in this regard which you may be able to confidentially gather.

I am, etc.,

John Hay.