811.7311c Al 5/38
The Minister in Cuba (Long) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received December 28.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that during the past two weeks Mr. Thomas R. Strahan, representing the All America Cables Company, and Doctor de Bustamante, who is the attorney for the above mentioned Company in Cuba, have been attempting to arrange the difficulty which appeared to lie in the landing of the Santiago–Guantanamo Cable at Guantanamo.
They informed the Legation that the United States Government did not feel that it was within its powers to grant a permit for the landing of the Cable over Article 3 of the agreement entitled “Lease [Page 809] to the United States by the Government of Cuba of certain Areas of Land and Water for Naval and Coaling Stations in Guantanamo and Bahia Honda”, signed at Havana on July 2nd, 1903.5
On the other hand the Cuban Government was of the opinion that the lease granted to the United States, under Article 3 of the treaty between the United States and Cuba, the 20th of February, 1903,6 was such as to preclude the possibility of the Cuban Government granting a permit to land a Cable on what is essentially American soil, due to the above mentioned concession.
Dr. de Bustamante is now of the opinion that it will be necessary for the two Governments to come to a mutual understanding for the landing of this Cable, and perhaps also to clear up the existing relay station of the Cable to Panama.
I beg to transmit herewith copies of Dr. de Bustamante’s letter to Mr. Strahan and a memorandum prepared by Mr. Strahan for the Legation.7 From these it is to be noted that an opinion is given which would arrange for a joint understanding between the two Governments, providing that [one] should be authorized, and their representatives could jointly take up the question involved.
I respectfully request to be instructed as to what steps the Department desires me to take in this matter so that I may be in a position to inform the representative of the All America Cables Company in the premises.
I have [etc.]
- Foreign Relations, 1903, p. 351.↩
- Apparently refers to the agreement signed Feb. 16, 1903, by the President of Cuba and Feb. 23, 1903, by the President of the United States; ibid., p. 350.↩
- Neither printed.↩