File No. 837.6112/32.

The Secretary of State to the American Minister.

No. 215.]

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.

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.
  1. Not printed.