The Secretary of State to the Russian Ambassador.
Washington, April 13, 1906.
Excellency: I have had the honor to receive your note of the 12th instant. Your excellency kindly informs me that in proposing the month of July as an available time for the meeting of the Second Peace Conference at The Hague, the Imperial Government in nowise intended to insist on that date, fixing it solely because of its seeming convenience to Holland; and that, the latter Government finding some other time acceptable, and the suggested date being inconvenient to several of the powers, the Imperial Government is ready to fix upon a time acceptable to all the interested powers.
The President has been much pleased to take note of your communication and desires me to request your excellency to convey to the Imperial Government his thanks for its very kind consideration of the circumstances which made the date first suggested inconvenient for the United States. He charges me further to say that any date after the 20th of September which may suit the convenience of the other powers will be entirely agreeable to this Government.
Adverting to your reference, in your previous note, to the purpose of the Imperial Government to confer with the powers signatory of The Hague convention of 1899 looking to the conclusion of an agreement, as contemplated by Article LX, to extend the option of adher [Page 1634] ence to powers not represented at the conference, I have the honor to suggest whether the status of the nonadhering States ought not to be settled before the meeting of the congress, and whether such status may not be determined by exchange of notes among the several powers.
Be pleased to accept, etc.,