No. 203.
Mr. Sargent to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
Berlin, June 15, 1883.
(Received July 5.)
No. 163.]
Sir: Referring to your instruction No. 102½, of the
31st March last, concerning the adjustment of the Venezuela debts, I have
now the honor to inclose a copy of a note in accordance with the same,
addressed by me to Count Hatzfeldt on the 30th April, and also a copy, with
translation, of his excellency’s reply of the 14th instant.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 163.]
Mr. Sargent to
Count Hatzfeldt.
Legation of the United States,
Berlin, April 30,
1883.
The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the
United States of America, has the honor, acting under instructions from
his Government, to lay before his excellency Count Hatzfeldt, imperial
secretary of state for foreign affairs, a copy of a document received
from the honorable Secretary of State at Washington, No. 102½,
containing an ample showing of the existing liabilities of Venezuela to
various Governments, including the imperial Government and those of
France and the United States, and of the present condition of
negotiations relating thereto; the efforts of the United States by
mediation to produce a just and satisfactory solution; their views upon
the present aspect of the matter, and the course which the United States
would adopt with the concurrence of the imperial Government, whose views
are requested in the hope of a proper settlement being secured.
This document is so ample in its statements that the undersigned will
only call to his excellency’s attention the facts emphasized by the
Secretary of State, that “the failure to attain a peaceful settlement as
between France and Venezuela, and a resort to force by the former to
collect her debt, could not but disastrously affect the
[Page 387]
ability of Venezuela to meet her just
obligations towards the other creditor Governments; that the common
interest of all is concerned in reaching an amicable solution of the
complex problem presented, and that the United States, themselves
creditors, will nevertheless subserve their interests in the matter to
the common good.”
While respectfully requesting early attention to this subject, the
undersigned avails, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No.
163.—Translation.]
Count Hatzfeldt to
Mr. Sargent.
Foreign
Office, Berlin, June 14,
1883.
The undersigned had the honor to receive the note of the 1st ultimo, in
which the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United
States of America, Mr. Aaron A. Sargent, has informed him of the
proposals which the American Government intends to make in order to
bring about an adjustment of the differences existing between France and
Venezuela, and at the same time to further regulate for the future the
modality of the distribution of the claims to be paid by Venezuela to
the various states who are her creditors. The minister has asked the
question if the imperial Government would eventually assent to the
propositions made by the United States Government.
In answer thereto the undersigned has the honor to inform the minister
that if all the other interested Governments announce their adherence to
the American propositions to bring about a generally satisfactory
solution, the imperial Government is quite ready on its side to join in,
and to empower its representative in Washington to put himself in
communication with the representatives of the participating states, to
fix the amount owing from Venezuela to the individual states, which
would serve as a basis for the future contribution of the fund allotted
by Venezuela for this purpose. It is understood in this connection,
however, that Germany shall suffer no diminution of its rights under its
agreement with Venezuela of the 27th January, 1877, through the proposed
arrangement of the United States.
The undersigned avails, &c.,
