File No. 711.6321/90
Ambassador Penfield to the Secretary of
State
No. 2447
American Embassy,
Vienna,
January 30, 1917.
Sir: Adverting to my telegram No. 1668 of
the 29th instant, relative to the desire of the Government of the
United States to abrogate by an exchange of notes certain sections
of the treaties with Austria-Hungary of May 8, 1848 and July 11,
1870, in view of an act of Congress dated March 4, 1915 and entitled
“An Act to Promote the Welfare of American Seamen”, I have the honor
to enclose herewith a copy and translation of a further note
received from the Austro-Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, No.
782/8 of January 16th, in which the Imperial and Royal Government
expresses the desire to be informed at an early date of the reply of
the United States to certain questions raised by its note of July
13th last, a copy of which was forwarded with my despatch No. 1781
of July 19, 1916.
I have [etc.]
[Page 11]
[Inclosure—Translation]
The Minister of Foreign
Affairs to Ambassador Penfield
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Vienna,
January 16,
1917.
By its note verbale No. 67630/8 of July 13, 1916, this Ministry
had the honor to make known to his excellency the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of
America, Mr. Frederic Courtland Penfield, that the Imperial and
Royal Government of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy agreed to
Article 4 of the Additional Convention of May 8, 1848, and
Articles 11 and 12 of the Consular Convention of July 11, 1870,
being withdrawn by an interchange of notes, at the same time
expressing the definite expectation of a satisfactory assurance
on the part of the United States with regard to the
infringements by the American Seamen’s Act of March 4, 1915, on
the rights of Austria-Hungary, and also to the disregard of
certain axioms of international law.
The undersigned has now the honor to call to the attention of the
Ambassador of the United States of America, that the Imperial
and Royal Government is still looking forward to a friendly
reply, all the more so as the alteration of the clauses in
question has not yet been officially sanctioned by the
authorities constitutionally empowered to do so.
The undersigned at the same time avails [etc.]
