Minister Hale to the Secretary of State.

No. 17.]

Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of the message read by President Jimenez to the Congress of Costa Rica, which met yesterday according to law, and a translation of the same.

I have [etc.]

E. J. Hale
.
[Inclosure—Translation—Extract.]

[Untitled]

Gentlemen:

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and to give here a brief outline of the general state of affairs of the Republic of Costa Rica.

In our foreign affairs, the most important matters are: Our boundary dispute with the Republic of Panama, which controversy, as you know, is about to be settled; and the difference which came up as a result of the canal treaty between the United States and Nicaragua, which was made without our opinion and without our cooperation. When the rumor circulated that the treaty was going to be signed, Costa Rica took steps to have her rights respected by those two Governments. As the treaty is as yet but a mere project, pending before the American Senate for approval, there is no need of alarm, as it might never go any further than its present state. So this Government deemed it needless to press its complaint; and I have so much faith in the high justice of those two Governments, signers of the treaty, and in the strength of our claim, that I have no doubt that the matter will be so arranged as to have the incontestable rights of Costa Rica taken into consideration.

In other respects our foreign relations with the two mentioned Republics, as well as with the rest of the world, have been good and friendly.