File No. 837.6112/32.
The Secretary of State to
the American Minister.
No. 215.]
Department of State,
Washington,
April 4, 1913.
Sir: The Department has received your No. 664
of March 22 last in which you enclose a copy and translation of Decree
No. 83, reviving the Zapata concession upon terms which, you state, seem
to remove the Department’s previous objections.
In reply I enclose a copy of the Department’s letter of today’s date to
Mr. Isaac K. Champion, President of the Zapata Land Company.
I am [etc.]
For
Mr. Bryan
:
Alvey A. Adee.
[Inclosure.]
The Secretary of State
to Isaac K. Champion.
Department of State,
Washington,
April 4, 1913.
Sir: The Department acknowledges your
letter of March 19, 1913,1 in which you enclose a copy of the Gaceta
Oficial of February 4, 1913, containing a copy of Presidential
Decree No. 83, which appears to put in force Decree No. 556 of June
18, 1912, by accepting the modifications in the latter decree
proposed by the Compañía Territorial de Zapata.
The Department has noted your statement that “as agreed in discussing
this matter with the State Department at Washington in accordance
with my written communications to the American Legation at Habana,
all the rights and actions acquired under this concession formerly
held by the Compañía Territorial de Zapata, a Cuban corporation,
have been duly and legally transferred and assigned to the Zapata
Land Company, a corporation organized under the laws of
[Page 369]
the State of Delaware.”
Regarding this statement it should perhaps be observed that the
officers of the Department with whom you conferred have no
recollection of the agreement you seem to allege between the
Department and yourself that the concession rights should be
transferred to an American company. This would appear to be a matter
which concerns only the concessionaire and the Cuban Government.
I am [etc.]
For
Mr. Bryan
:
Alvey A. Adee.
