The Swiss Chargé d’Affaires to the Assistant Secretary of State.
Washington, D. C., August 12, 1901.
Mr. Assistant Secretary of State: I am instructed by my Government to make the following communication in the matter of the contemplated revision of the Geneva Convention of 1864.
[Page 1530]Like the United States of America, France, Italy, and Russia have declared, in reply to the invitation of the Swiss Federal Council, that they believed the time had come for a remodeling of the convention under consideration, and that they would be represented at the conference contemplated for the purpose.
The Government of Great Britain, while of opinion that a revision of the convention of 1864 is imperative, expressed a wish that the conference be postponed so as to be able thoroughly to examine the various questions connected therewith and also utilize the experiments recently made in South Africa and China.
The German Government answered that it would not be in a position to be represented at any conference that would meet in the course of this year.
Austria-Hungary has not yet returned any positive answer, but my Government has reason to believe that it also deems it expedient to postpone the meeting of the conference.
Under the circumstances, the Federal Council has decided to forego, for this year, the execution of its project. It hopes, however, that circumstances next year will permit of its renewing its proposal and that the latter will then meet with the assent of all the states signatory of the Geneva Convention.
I embrace this opportunity, etc.,