File No. 701.6311/177
The Ambassador in Austria-Hungary (Penfield) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 2, 12.50 p. m.]
920. Following is translation note received from Austro-Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs to-day in reply to your telegram 887, September 8, 4 p. m.:1
From the very esteemed note of the eleventh of this month number 2265 the undersigned has learned that Mr. Dumba is no longer agreeable to the Government of the United States of America as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Austria-Hungary. Inasmuch as the undersigned has taken cognizance of this information he is in no doubt as to the conclusions to be drawn therefrom with regard to thefurther retention of Mr. Dumba at the Washington post.
The undersigned can however not refrain from giving expression to his opinion that diplomatic correspondence especially between an Ambassador and his Government no matter in what manner transmitted should not—as has been the case in the esteemed note referred to—be made the subject of an official criticism from a Government for which this correspondence was not intended and to whose attention it could come only by accident.
As expressed by the Government of the United States the undersigned for his part likewise entertains the sincere wish that the relations between Austria-Hungary and the United States of America should as formerly still retain their cordial and friendly character and avails himself of this opportunity to renew [etc.]
Burian