Mr. Woodford to Mr. Sherman.
Madrid, April 4, 1898.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt this evening of your cipher dispatch, which I translate as follows:
Washington, April 4, 1898.
Woodford, Minister, Madrid:
Congress may very possibly take decisive action middle or end of this week. You should notify the United States consul-general in Spain and cooperate with him in [Page 734] notifying the United States consular officers in Spain who are American citizens to arrange to leave their offices in charge of friendly power and, if they desire, to quietly prepare for departure from Spain upon notice either to Spain or public of a rupture of relations. If rupture comes, you had better proceed to Paris and await further instructions.
Sherman.
I have this evening written Mr. Bowen, the consul-general at Barcelona, informing him that it is possible that diplomatic relations between Spain and the United States may be severed at any time this week, and that he should at once instruct all United States consuls who are American citizens to arrange to leave the records and property of their consulates in the charge of some friendly power and, if they so desire, to quietly make preparations for departure from Spain upon either public or official notice of rupture of relations. I have also notified him that this is for his own guidance also.
In order to cooperate with him in communicating the above to all concerned, I have sent by the same mail a copy of such letter to Julio Harmony, Corunna; Andrew F. Fay, Denia; Richard M. Bartleman, Malaga; Franklin C. Bevan, Almeria Malaga; John Howell Carroll, Cadiz; William W. Wysor, Jeres de la Frantera; and Samuel B. Caldwell, Seville. I have asked Mr. Bowen to communicate such further instructions as he may deem advisable to them or to other consular officers of American citizenship whose names I may have omitted, and have asked him to notify me at once if I can cooperate with him further.
I also telegraph you in cipher to-night and translate such dispatch as follows:
Madrid, April 4, 1898.
Secretary Sherman, Washington:
Cipher dispatch instructing notification to consuls received this Monday evening. All notifications have been mailed to-night.
Woodford.
I am, very respectfully, yours,