Office of the Historian

File No. 859.001F87/10.]

The Minister of Denmark to the Secretary of State.

Legation of Denmark,
Washington, July 9th, 1912.

Mr. Secretary of State: By direction of my Government I have herewith the honor to transmit to your excellency the letter in original and copy, by which His Majesty my August Sovereign notifies His succession to the Throne and the death of His Majesty King Frederik VIII, to the President of the United States.

I have the honor to request that your excellency will be so good as to cause this letter to be laid before the President.

Please accept [etc.].

C. Moltke.
[Inclosure.]

The King of Denmark to the President of the United States.

Great and Good Friend: I comply with the saddest of duties in announcing to You the death of my well-beloved and deeply venerated Father, King Frederik VIII, suddenly deceased at Hamburg the 14th of last May in His 69th year, after a reign of six years. I am sure that You will sympathize with me on this sad occasion, which overwhelms me with profound sorrow and spreads mourning throughout the nation.

Called, in the order of succession, to the throne of Denmark, I beg You to belief that I shall take every means of cultivating more and more the good relations that exist between Denmark and the United States of America.

I seize this occasion to express to You the assurance of the esteem and friendship with which I am, Great and Good Friend,

Your Sincere Friend,

Christian R.

Copenhagen,
June, 21, 1912.