File No. 822.5048/6.
The British Ambassador to the Acting Secretary of State.
Washington, December 3, 1913.
Dear Mr. Moore: It will be within your recollection that in my note No. 183 of July 5th last I had the honour, under instructions from Sir E. Grey, to communicate unofficially a copy of a despatch from His Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires at Quito and to enquire whether, in view of the information as to the maltreatment of South American natives contained therein, the United States Government would be disposed to join with His Majesty’s Government in a friendly invitation to the Ecuadorean Government to investigate the circumstances and to cooperate with the Peruvian Government in suppressing the traffic in slaves between these two countries if investigation proved that such a traffic existed. In your reply of July 21st it was stated that a copy of this note had been forwarded to the United States Legation at Quito with instructions to report on the subject.
I have now been instructed to enquire whether your Government have received any report from the United States Legation at Quito on the subject and I should be most grateful if you would be kind enough to let me know whether you have received the information desired.
I am [etc.]