Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay.
Athens, May 14, 1904.
Sir: I have the honor to report that upon my arrival in Belgrade on the 6th instant I put myself in communication with the Servian foreign office, calling upon Mr. N. Pachitch, the minister of foreign affairs, getting acquainted with him and various other officials, and leaving with him a written request for an audience with the King for the presentation of my credentials. Within twenty-four hours my calls were returned, and on the afternoon of May 7 I received a communication in which it was stated that King Peter would receive me on Monday, the 9th.
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A short time before the hour set for the audience I was called for at my hotel by the acting marshal of the court, and was taken by him to the palace in a gala court carriage, with outriders and accompanied by a cavalry escort. In the courtyard of the palace the guard presented arms and a band played “Hail Columbia,” soldiers lined the palace stairs, and about a dozen adjutants and court officials awaited me in the anteroom. As I entered the reception room from one end the King entered at the other, and His Majesty walked forward to meet me. After the formal speeches in French, translations of which are appended hereto, the King took the President’s letter from me,a gave me his hand; and asked me to accompany him to another room, where we sat down and where the conversation was of an informal character. In this room we were followed by the minister of foreign affairs, the acting marshal of the court, and the King’s private secretary (his cousin), and refreshments were served according to the national Servian custom. His Majesty subsequently took me to still another room, where I was presented to the crown prince, the princess, and the several other younger members of the royal family who happened to be in Belgrade at the time. After a few minutes’ informal conversation the King rose and I took my departure. Before leaving the palace the adjutants and other officials were presented to me, and on passing through the courtyard the guard again presented arms, and the American air was played a second time. I was brought back to my hotel with the same escort which had accompanied me to the palace—an officer, 24 men, and several noncommissioned officers.
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I have, etc.,
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