File No. 8684/2.
The Swedish Minister to the Secretary of State.
Washington, September 25, 1907.
Sir: The Swedish Government has received, through our consul-general at Alexandria, Egypt, a letter from the Egyptian minister for foreign affairs, stating that his Government, in order to improve the sanitary conditions of the city of Cairo, were planning to construct a system of sewers in that city and that it would be necessary for the covering of the expenses for this enterprise to augment the taxes levied on real estate, situated inside of the city limits, from one-twelfth to one-tenth of its value.
In the same letter the Egyptian authorities have asked of the Swedish Government the permission to exact the proposed new tax also from the Swedish subjects residing in Cairo.
As it is supposed that the Government of the United States also has received a similar communication from the Egyptian authorities, the minister for foreign affairs at Stockholm has, before giving his answer in the matter, requested me to obtain information about the standpoint of the United States Government as to the proposed augmentation of taxes with regard to citizens of this country residing in Cairo.
In compliance with this request, I therefore have the honor to ask for your excellency’s kind intervention in order to be enabled to furnish my Government with the information desired. I have, etc.,