File No. 704.6712/9.
Consul Schmutz to the Secretary of State.
Aguascalientes, June 1, 1915.
Sir: I have the honor to report that S. Bujdud of the firm of S. Bujdud Hermano and Jalife, Ottoman subjects, in business in Torreon, applied to this consulate yesterday in regard to ninety-four bales of cotton which was stored in a local warehouse and which the Government had sequestered.
In accord with the Department [circular] instruction of January 9, 1915, to “use my unofficial good offices in behalf of Ottoman subjects in my consular district,” I took the matter up with the local authorities and obtained the release of this cotton.
When the German Consul of San Luis Potosí was in Aguascalientes about a month ago, he informed me that his consular district included the State of Aguascalientes, and a few days later I saw a notice in the El Paso Morning Times which stated that the German Consul in San Luis Potosí had been appointed by the Ottoman Empire in charge of the interests of Ottoman subjects in his consular district.
Under these circumstances I beg to inquire if the Department’s instruction above referred to is still in force.
I have [etc.]