File No. 437.00/16.
The American Minister to the Secretary of State.
Sir: * * * Yesterday the representatives of the three powers presented a collective note to Sr. Sanguily informing him that their [Page 130] Governments had taken note of Cuba’s willingness to submit the matter to arbitration, and would soon make a proposition as to the character of the arbitration “commission” and the questions which should be considered by it. This note was accompanied by a “verbal” communication stating that the principle involved was of such importance that it should be submitted for arbitration to a commission in which the interested powers were represented, and should not be determined by any single arbitrator, without regard to the position or character of that single person.
The claims themselves are of small importance to the three powers, amounting in all to about $4,000,000 (which amount would, of course, be subject to considerable reduction), arising principally from damage to the property of their nationals, only a relatively small proportion being on account of supplies furnished to the insurrectionary forces (my dispatch No. 546, of Jan. 5, 1911); but the powers consider the principle involved as of great importance, and they wish to have it considered by a tribunal of a character sufficient to make its decision an international precedent. Cuba, on the contrary, is not interested in the principle, but in the consequences of any decision contrary to her views (dispatch No. 546), and is therefore unwilling to submit her case to any tribunal in which European might prevail over American views.
I am, etc.,