Mr. Storer to Mr.
Hay.
American Legation,
Vienna, April 14,
1904.
No. 115.]
Sir: As your instruction No. 72, bearing date
of February 26, called for no official action until further advice from
the Department, I deemed it best to bring unofficially to the attention
of the foreign office the intended cruise of our ships of war in the
Mediterranean, as well as the wishes of our Government as to the
courtesies and attentions which might otherwise be offered to the navy
of a friendly power on such an occasion.
To this unofficial communication I have the honor to report I have to-day
received the answer of the foreign office, also unofficial in form, but
containing information of sufficient importance to transmit at once for
the consideration of the Department. It will be seen that no more than
three war ships of the United States may enter at the same time any
Austrian or Hungarian port, nor more than six enter Austro-Hungarian
waters until, as a preliminary, permission is asked for through the
diplomatic channel.
I inclose a copy and a translation of the letter of the under secretary
of state, Ritter von Mérey.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Mr. Mérey to
Mr. Storer.
Imperial and Royal Ministry for Foreign
Affairs,
Vienna, April 12,
1904.
My Dear Ambassador: I have at once
communicated to the proper quarter the contents of the note that
your excellency was good enough to send on the 30th of March to
inform the Government of Austria-Hungary that a United States
squadron was to visit several ports of Europe this summer, and among
them would stop at Trieste.
The naval section of the war department of Austria-Hungary has
received the news of this visit to one of our ports with the
greatest pleasure. Yet it is thought that the attention of the
Government of the United States should be called to article 2 of the
law in force on “The approach to the Austro-Hungarian coast of war
vessels of friendly powers.” By the terms of this article it is
interdicted for more than three ships of war of the same foreign
navy to anchor at the same time in the same port; and for more than
six of such ships of war to remain in the neighborhood of our coast,
unless a special authorization therefor has been previously asked
for through the diplomatic channel. The newspapers having spoken of
a much larger number of ships, it is of importance, in order to
avoid any misunderstanding, that timely notice should be given of
this restriction to the Government of the United States.
I beg to add that the Austro-Hungarian naval authorities will take
notice of the desire of your excellency to confine the marks of
courtesy to the formalities of rule and custom and take this
occasion to renew to you, my dear ambassador, the assurances,
etc.
