File No. 711.0012/238a.
To the diplomatic officers of the ‘United States in Argentina, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Persia, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Siam, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Washington, December 18, 1913.
Sir: I enclose herewith a copy of the treaty with Salvador,1 which provides for investigation in all cases of disputes. Four other treaties, identical in language, have been signed with Guatemala, Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua. We have just signed a treaty with the Netherlands, a copy of which is also enclosed.1 You will notice by comparing the two treaties .that the chief point of difference lies in the elimination from the Netherlands treaty of the entire section relating to the military and naval status. This Government has at all times been willing to omit this section or to modify it to suit the wishes of contracting nations. There are some minor changes, the two principal being: first, the provision requiring the nations to furnish the necessary facts during investigation; and, second, the provision that the fifth member of the commission shall not be a citizen of either contracting country. I send you the copy of the treaty with the Netherlands in order that you may bring it, and the Salvador treaty again, to the attention of the Government to which you are accredited in the hope that we may reach an early agreement in regard to details and be ready to sign the treaty within a short time.
The President in his recent message expressed gratification that thirty-one nations had accepted the principle of the proposed peace plan. These nations comprise more than three fourths of the population of the world. We feel that the treaties made in accordance with this plan take a long step in advance, and are much pleased that the plan has been so generally approved.
I am [etc.]