File No. 817.812/109.

Minister Long to the Secretary of State.

No. 25.]

Sir: The Department’s cablegram of January 28, relative to the Nicaraguan canal treaty, arrived on the 29th ult., in a mutilated condition. The local office of the cable company was requested to have the same repeated and the corrected copy was delivered to this Legation February 2, 1915.

Having complied with the instruction contained in the cablegram under acknowledgment I have the honor to report that the Fonseca [Page 1107] Bay question is probably the most delicate now engaging the attention of the President-elect, the Acting President, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs; and, even in this group, there is a tendency to leave this matter entirely with the President-elect. I feel that with this indication the Department will realize the difficulty of obtaining expressions of opinion from officials. As yet the attitude of the Government has not been communicated to me but I know that the matter is receiving serious consideration and I shall keep the Department informed as to developments.

I have [etc.]

Boaz W. Long.