Office of the Historian

File No. 711.0521/111

Chargé Jay to the Secretary of State

[Extract]
No. 525
American Embassy,
Rome, June 30, 1916.

Sir: In further reference to the Department’s unnumbered instruction of March 23 last, relative to the abrogation of the Consular Convention between the United States and Italy, I now have the honor to transmit to you herewith translation of a note received to-day from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking due notice of the Embassy’s note above referred to, and complying with the Department’s request to disregard the instructions contained in its No. 324 of June 8, 1915, to give notice of the denunciation of the Consular Convention of May 8, 1878, between the United States and Italy in its entirety, and instead thereof to give notice of the intention of the Government of the United States to abrogate the Convention concluded between the two Governments February 24, 1881, and Article XIII of the Treaty of May 8, 1878.

I have [etc.]

Peter A. Jay
[Page 22]
[Inclosure—Translation]

The Minister for Foreign Affairs to Ambassador Page

No. 31468/1121
Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Rome, June 29, 1916.

Mr. Ambassador: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the esteemed note No. 1082 of April 21 with which your excellency makes known that you have been charged by your Government to inform the Government of the King that, owing to a pure misunderstanding, your preceding note No. 598 of June 21, 1915, gave notice of the desire of your Government to abrogate the entire Consular Convention between the United States and Italy of May 8, 1878, while it was the intention of the Government of the United States merely to abrogate Article XI of the Convention concluded between the two Governments February 24, 1881, and Article XIII of the Treaty of May 8, 1878, only.

In taking due cognizance of the foregoing, I beg [etc.]

S. Sonnino