File No. 701.6311/233
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page)1
4097. Department’s 4044 and your 5128 [5218]. Inform Lord Grey that this Government is greatly surprised to learn of the refusal of the British Government to grant safe-conduct to the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador accredited to the United States; that the United States has an undisputed right to maintain diplomatic relations through accredited representatives with any nation which it desires, and that it can not believe that it is the purpose of His Majesty’s Government to interfere with the exercise of this sovereign right. As the Government of the United States is therefore desirous to have Count Tarnowski reach the United States as soon as possible, it expects the Government of His Majesty to reconsider their action and to assure Count Tarnowski and suite that they will be unmolested in their passage to this country.
- The same, mutatis mutandis, on the same date, to the Ambassador in France (No. 1855).↩