File No. 822.51/231.
The British Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
memorandum.
The British Ambassador presents his compliments to the Secretary of State and has the honour to refer to the reported intention of the Government of Ecuador to raise a loan of three million dollars in the United States.
Sir Cecil Spring Rice understands from verbal communications which have passed with the Department of State that the American Minister at Quito has been approached by the Ecuadorian Government on this subject, but that the United States Government do not feel disposed to encourage such a loan until the Ecuadorian Government has made some satisfactory arrangement in the case of the Guayaquil & Quito Railway, the affairs of which have recently formed the subject of correspondence between the Department and this Embassy.
On enquiry in London Sir Cecil Spring Rice is authorised to state that His Majesty’s Government have learnt with much satisfaction of the attitude which the United States Government propose to take in the matter of the proposed loan, and that they will, if approached on the subject, likewise refuse any assistance.
Washington , July 11, 1915.