834.156/18
The Acting Secretary of State to the Paraguayan Minister (Gondra)
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my note to you of February 7, 1919, regarding the representations made to this Government by the Construction and Engineering Finance Company of New York with regard to the alleged premature termination of the concession granted to that company by the Paraguayan Government for the improving of the port and river front at Asuncion. In the first paragraph of my note, I called your attention to the fact that the Construction and Engineering Finance Company had in good faith begun construction under its concession on April 18, 1916, “and before the suspension of work on November 29, 1916, had expended in materials and labor the sum of $200,000.00.” Upon going over the matter again with the officials of the company, it appears that there may be some possibility of a misunderstanding in the use of the terms “materials and labor”, and that the statement would probably be more accurate if it read as follows: “Had expended in materials and labor the sum of $117,000.00 aside from having incurred other obligations imposed by the execution of the contract to an additional amount which would bring the total up to the sum of $200,000.00.” I should, therefore, be very glad if you would note this corrected statement in considering the matters set forth in my note of the 7th instant.
Accept [etc.]