Ambassador Choate
to the Secretary of State.
American Embassy,
London, January 11,
1904.
No. 1276.]Sir: In my dispatch, No. 1272, of the 4th
instant, in relation to certain bonds issued by the late South African
republic alleged to have been purchased by William H. McGreevy, I stated
that possibly Lord Lansdowne might have something further to add later
than his note of December 29. I have therefore the honor to inclose a
copy of his lordship’s note of the 6th instant in reply to one from me
of the 18th ultimo, a copy of which is also herewith inclosed.
It will be observed that his lordship expresses the hope that the
information contained in his communication of the 29th ultimo, above
mentioned, will be found to contain the particulars requested by the
department, but states that further inquiries will be made if
desired.
As throwing some further light upon the interpretation of Clause II of
section 10 of the terms of surrender, copies of which I inclosed in my
last dispatch, with regard to the validity of the notes issued under law
No. 1 of 1900 of the late South African republic, I inclose a copy of a
note from Mr. Malcolm, of the colonial office, to Mr. Carter, dated the
9th instant, in which it is stated that the notes are not legal tender
or negotiable or good for any purposes except as evidence of war losses
suffered by the persons to whom they were originally issued, and that
they may therefore be submitted as evidence by the original holder to
the central judicial commission now sitting at Pretoria, the authority
which, in the case of an American citizen, assesses his claim for
compensation for war losses.
It is also stated that this commission will probably conclude their
sessions in two or three months, as apparently they have called in all
claims by notice, and it only remains to assess those which have not yet
been assessed.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Ambassador Choate to the Marquis of
Lansdowne.
American Embassy,
London, December 18,
1903.
My Lord: Referring to our conversation of
Wednesday last, in which I made an informal request for information
concerning certain bonds of the late South African Republic, I now
put the inquiry in writing, as you suggested. The
[Page 795]
notes or bonds inquired about were
issued by the Government of the South African Republic and dated May
28, 1900, and numbered as follows: Nos. 12397, 14236, 4000, 1151,
14136, 14489, 13915, 2110, 16098, value £1 each; Nos. 11603 and
1210, value £5 each; and Nos. 2461, 6840, 2155, 1795, 7281, value
£10 each; and Nos. 4078, 2062, 2075, value £20 each; Nos. 305, 306,
and 1299, £50 each; and Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, £100 each; and also notes
dated April 1, 1901, Nos. 11004A, 10866A, 21553A, and 35247A, value
£1 each, all bearing interest at 6 per cent and amounting, with
interest, to £800 and upward. It has been represented to the State
Department that by the terms of peace between Great Britain and the
Boer authorities it was agreed that these bonds, among others,
should be paid by the British Government, and on that point I have
been unable to obtain information.
It has also been represented to the State Department that His
Majesty’s Government are paying these bonds in accordance with the
terms of the treaty of peace. In view of these representations, I
shall be greatly obliged if your lordship will kindly furnish me
with any information that may be available as to their correctness,
and whether the terms of the treaty of peace make any representation
as to bonds or obligations in which these might be included, and
whether any such bonds have been paid by our Government.
I understand that bond No. 14489 was probably intended to be 13489,
and 35247A was probably intended to be 35248A.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 2.]
Lord Lansdowne
to Ambassador Choate.
Foreign Office, January 6, 1904.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s note of the 18th
ultimo, in which you inquire whether certain bonds issued by the
Government of the late South African Republic will be paid by His
Majesty’s Government.
I beg leave to refer your excellency to my note of the 29th ultimo,
in answer to your inquiry of the 3d ultimo, which will, I hope, be
found to contain the required particulars. If there are, however,
any points which are not covered by the information in my
above-mentioned note, I shall be happy to make further
inquiries.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 3.]
Mr. Malcolm to
Mr. Carter.
Colonial Office, January 9, 1904.
My Dear Carter: Farnall has handed me your
note to him of to-day. The commission to which yon refer is the
central judicial commission at Pretoria. It is still sitting, though
how long it will continue to sit I can’t say. I hope not more than
two or three months, as they have called in all claims by notice,
and it only remains to assess those which have not yet been
assessed.
The rule with regard to notes issued under law No. 1 of 1900 of the
late South African Republic is that they are not legal tender, or
negotiable, or good for any purpose except as evidence of war losses
suffered by the persons to whom they were originally issued. (See as
to this Article X of the terms of surrender order of the Boer
forces, of which you have copies, no doubt.) They may therefore be
submitted as evidence, just like any other evidence, by the original
holder to the body which assesses his claim for compensation for war
losses. In the case of an American subject this body would be the
central judicial commission.
Yours, sincerely,
