File No. 893.51/1282.
The Secretary of State to the American Minister.
Washington, February 10, 1913.
Your February 9.
On February 5 the British Embassy notified the Department that the British Government had consented to an arrangement for the appointment of foreign advisers according to which the director of national loans was to be German, the chief salt inspector British, and the two associated directors of the audit department French and Russian and asked this Government likewise to consent. In reply the Embassy was orally advised of the Department’s instruction to you of February 4.
The Italian Embassy here also made inquiries and was advised as to our attitude. Beyond this there has been no exchange of views between this and other Governments, but the Department made inquiries on February 9 at London, Paris and Berlin as to the status of the loan question.
In endeavoring to effect an immediate settlement of this question, which is deemed by the Department as of first importance, you will bear in mind the Department’s general instruction of January 27, wherein this matter was left largely to your discretion.