The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador.

Dear Mr. Ambassador: Adverting to your memorandum in regard to bringing before the Second Hague Conference the question of reduction of armaments, I have the pleasure to communicate to you, for the information of His Majesty’s Government, copy of a notea I am to-day sending to the Russian ambassador, in which I request that the Russian Government include in their letter of invitation to [Page 1104] the powers a statement of the fact of the right of the United States to propose the subjects as to which we reserved liberty of proposal in a note which I addressed to Baron Rosen on the 7th of June, 1906, namely, the reduction or limitation of armaments, and the attainment of an agreement to observe some limitations upon the use of force for the collection of ordinary public debts arising out of contracts.

Our embassy has already communicated to Sir Edward Grey copy of my note of June 7, 1906, as well as copies of the later explanatory correspondence on the subject, comprising a memorandum of Baron Rosen dated November 12, 1906, and my reply of December 20, 1906.

I am, etc.,

Elihu Root.
  1. Note of this date, following.