File No. 3146.

The Secretary of State to Ambassador Thompson.

No. 179.]

Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 349, of the 7th ultimo, asking whether, under the circumstances explained therein, you should issue a passport to Rafael J. del Rio y Rico.

In reply I have to say that if Mr. Rico is entitled to receive a passport, it would seem to be expedient to have it follow the preceding passport, issued to him by Ambassador Clayton, provided it does not appear that his desire to have it in the same name is with intent to use it improperly, and provided also that he is generally known under that name.

It would also seem that there should be no objection under the circumstances stated by you to issuing a passport to “Rafael Rico, commonly known as Rafael del Rio y Rico,” according to the suggestion in an instruction of Mr. Wharton to Mr. Osiel, July 8, 1889, 173 Domestic Letters, 547. (Moore’s International Law Digest, section 509.)

I am, etc.,

Elihu Root.