Mr. Hay to Mr. Peirce.
Washington, July 17, 1900.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 260, of the 30th ultimo, inquiring as to the method of presentation to the arbitrator in the sealing and whaling cases of the necessary communications.
In reply I have to say that the Department perceives no objections, unless you do, to the view that all communications in the Bering Sea cases should be officially delivered to the arbitrator, and that the respective legations of the United States and Russia at The Hague be considered the appropriate channels through which such communications should be made. In the event that view prevails, which you may adopt unless you see objections to it, it would be convenient to stipulate that a duplicate of all such official communications should be delivered at the same time for the opposing counsel, and it would serve your convenience, and perhaps the convenience of the counsel for the Russian Government, if the United States Embassy at St. Petersburg and the Russian foreign office acted respectively as the medium for the delivery of such duplicates.
I am, etc.,