On Friday, October 20, about 11.30 a. m., the revolver and sword of Mr. J. B. West, a citizen of the United States, were seized by one Chom, constable No. 2, in the district of Paklat, which arms Mr. West was carrying as chief inspector of the Spirit Farm at Ratburee. Mr. West was about to depart for his district by his boat at the time. The property was detained under the protest at the time of Mr. West as a citizen of the United States. Mr. West is well known to all the officials in this district, having lived among them now for several years, and it is well known to all implicated in this matter that he is a citizen of the United States. After waiting for more than three hours for his property to be returned to him, Mr. West reported the case to me, as his consul-general, in the evening. On the morning of October 21 I wrote a letter to Mr. Jardine calling his attention to the irregularity of the proceeding and requesting him to give order that the property be returned to the owner immediately, as the man had already been detained from his business over twenty-four hours. It seems that Mr. Jardine sent an order to the police authorities at Paklat, the contents of which I do not know. On the presentation of this order, the police inspector, one Luang See Sitikdate, refused to give up the arms on the ground that they were now in the hands of the court; the court official, one Luang Cha Muang, second magistrate, the same, however, who accepted the arms the day before, now refused to give them up until his superior should return, who he said was to be absent some week or more; the governor, one Phra: Khajann Songkramm, refused to give them up on the ground that he had nothing to do with the matter, and Mr. West referred the case back to me. I wrote Mr. Jardine a second letter saying that if the matter was not cleared up within twenty-four hours I should be obliged to report it to the foreign office. The result was a letter from him, a copy of which I also inclose (inclosure No. 2). I then wrote His Royal Highness Prince Nares, a copy of whose reply, to the effect that he would investigate, I inclose (inclosure No. 3). After waiting four days I advised Mr. West to secure other arms and to proceed on his way to his business. Of the property of Mr. West the consul-general of the United States as yet has no knowledge; and as a reply to his final request to have them returned to the owner, he is informed by an official of your Government that he will investigate the matter; a matter which he has never been asked to investigate, inasmuch as the investigation of such a question as the right to detain United States property can in no way be conceded to lie within his province. Your royal highness is well aware that since my arrival in Siam my Government has been most active in her endeavor to render the Siamese Government every assistance in enforcing her laws, and stands alone in her endeavor to do away with the protégé questions, the only question out of which a case of doubtful jurisdiction can possibly arise. In the light of this fact this positive infringement of the rights of men whose appearance permits of no doubt as to whether they be under Siamese jurisdiction and whose familiar acquaintance with all concerned leaves little doubt that their nationality was known at the time of the several actions becomes all the more serious. In interpreting all incidents growing out of the protégé questions, I have always exercised the fullest liberty granted me in behalf of your Government, feeling that Siam might be suffering from some things that could not have been foreseen when her treaties were made. In the exercise of police control in the city, unless further abused, it will continue to be a pleasure, in cases of necessity, to grant the right of seizure, on condition always that the case be immediately reported to the United States consular court, the only court which my Government can recognize as having jurisdiction over such cases. Indeed, it shall be my chiefest pleasure to continue the cultivation of those friendly relations between our two nations, the development of which relations constitutes my special mission to Siam. But I would respectfully call the attention of your royal highness to the fact that I can not lose sight of the fact that in the two unfortunate incidents that occurred in my predecessor's time, and to which I have sincerely hoped there would never be a necessity to refer, the Government of the United States put herself on record that the treaty rights of her citizens in Siam must be considered sacred. The dec sion in the incidents referred to took this question out of the domain of discussion and declared that if the words, British subjects, their persons, homes, premises, lands, ships, or property of any kind shall not be seized, injured, or in any way interfered with by the Siamese," which words apply equally to United States subjects by the most-favored-nation clause, mean anything, they mean that the entire jurisdiction over the interests of the United States in Siam reside in but one place, and that place is the court of the consulate-general of the United States. In the light of this fact, I would respectfully invite the attention of your royal 678 FOREIGN RELATIONS. highness to the words of the letter from your inspector-general of police (inclosure No. 1) and to the attitude of his subordinate. Mr. Lawson, in your endeavor to discover the cause of these unfortunate incidents-incidents which have been brought about by the action of Siamese policemen who are under the tuition of such instruction. In passing, permit me to refer to the entire body of correspondence inclosed as a most discouraging comment on that municipal reform of which I know your royal highness to be so sincerely desirous. Your royal highness is aware that the right to hold a pony or a revolver involves the right to hold property to the value of an estate; that the right to impose a fine of 2 ticals involves the right to impose a fine to any amount; that, while the largest liberty in other matters may be granted to one as representative of his government, treaties can be changed only by governments, and that a decision so definite as that which has been made upon this point leaves the representative no choice of action. The minister of the United States can not view these proceedings in any other light than that of a grave incident and a serious infringement of the treaty rights of American citizens. It is with feelings of personal regret that, yielding only to the demands of duty, he enters a solemn protest against these proceedings throughout, requests that the goods of Mr. West be delivered to this consulate-general at once; that an explanation be required from those whose authority so obviously has brought about these unfortunate incidents, contrary, as he must believe, to the spirit of the Siamese Government, and in the event of a repetition of such must claim the right to refer the whole matter to his home Government at once without discussion. I avail myself, etc., HAMILTON KING. [Inclosure 2.] No. 152.] Mr. King to Prince Varoprager. UNITED STATES LEGATION, Bangkok, Siam, December 8, 1899. MONSIEUR LE MINISTRE: The minister for the United States not having received any acknowledgment of his letter of October 31, in which he requested an explanation of the treatment accorded to two citizens of the United States by His Siamese Majesty's Government, begs to inform His Royal Highness Prince Krom Luang Devawongse Varopraker, His Siamese Majesty's minister for foreign affairs, that he feels it his duty to lay the whole matter before his Government at Washington. This he the more sincerely regrets since this case is so related to the assault case of November 19, 1896, that in connection with the same he must of necessity inform his Government also of the fact that His Siamese Majesty's Government has not complied with the requirements of the decision of the arbitrators in that case, although made known to both Governments at so remote a date as September 20, 1897. I avail, etc., HAMILTON KING. Mr. Hay to Mr. King. No. 52.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 17, 1900. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 53, of the 21st of December last, reporting that you have protested to the Siamese Government against the action of Siamese officials in seizing property belonging to Messrs. Bartine Carrington and J. B. West, American citizens. The Department approves generally your action as reported in your dispatch. I am, etc., JOHN HAY. SPAIN. REESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH SPAIN. No. 1.] Mr. Hay to Mr. Storer. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: The relations of peace and friendship between the United States and Spain, which have for some time past been interrupted, having been restored by the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty of peace between the two countries, signed at Paris on December 10, 1898, a copy of which I inclose for the files of your legation, the President has been pleased to appoint you to be envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States to Spain. I send herewith: 1. Your commission in such capacity. 2. A letter addressed to Her Majesty the Queen Regent of Spain, with an office copy thereof. 3. A copy of the printed instructions to the diplomatic officers of the United States. 4. A diplomatic and consular list. You will send the copy of the President's letter to the foreign office at the time you ask for your audience for the delivery of the original to Her Majesty in person. I also inclose an original and duplicate letter of credit on the bankers of the United States at London, authorizing them to pay your drafts for salary quarterly, as it becomes due, and for the contingent expenses of the legation actually incurred, not to exceed annually the sum of $3,100; and for clerk hire the sum of $1,200 annually. You will affix your signature to both letters and return the original to this Department. Your salary as fixed by law will be at the rate of $12,000 per annum. You are referred to the printed instructions to the diplomatic officers of the United States for directions as to the mode of drawing your salary and rendering your accounts, as well as for the regulations relative to the expenditures of your legation. The archives of your legation will afford information of the questions which have engaged the attention of the two Governments, and further instructions will be sent as required. Entire confidence is entertained that the affairs of the legation at Madrid will prosper in your hands, and that you will, during your continuance in the mission, contribute in all possible ways toward the building up anew of most cordial relations between the two Governments and peoples. I am, etc., [Inclosure.] JOHN HAY. WILLIAM MCKINLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. To Her Majesty Dona MARIA CRISTINA, Queen Regent of Spain. GREAT AND GOOD FRIEND: I have made choice of Bellamy Storer, one of our distinguished citizens, to reside near the Government of Your Majesty in the quality of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America. He is well informed of the relative interests of the two countries and of our sincere desire to restore and to cultivate to the fullest extent the friendship which since the independence of the United States has remained almost continually unbroken between the United States and Spain. My knowledge of his high character and ability gives me entire confidence that he will constantly endeavor to advance the interests and prosperity of both Governments, and so render himself acceptable to Your Majesty. I therefore request Your Majesty to receive him favorably and to give full credence to what he shall say on the part of the United States and to the assurance which I have charged him to convey to you of the best wishes of this Government for the prosperity of Spain and of its sincere trust that with the renewal of friendly intercourse the good will of the two peoples may have firm root and bring forth abundant increase, to their mutual advantage. May God have Your Majesty in His wise keeping. Written at Washington this 18th day of April, in the year 1899. By the President: JOHN HAY, WILLIAM MCKINLEY. Secretary of State. Mr. Storer to Mr. Hay. No. 3.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to report that yesterday, the 16th of June, the ninth day after my arrival in Spain, I, accompanied by Mr. Sickles, the secretary of the legation, was officially received by the Queen Regent for the purpose of presenting my letters of credence. As is the universal custom for ministers accredited to the court of Spain, in distinction to ambassadors, I made no formal address, but simply stated that I had been sent to Madrid to remain as representative of the United States and was the bearer of a letter from the President, which I begged Her Majesty to receive. I added only that. feeling sure this letter contained expressions of the existing friendship our Government bore toward Spain, to carry out these sentiments I begged to put myself at the service of Her Majesty. The Queen Regent, in accepting the letter, made no reply except a brief but courteous conversation about Belgium and my journey from there to Spain. The entire audience did not last more than five minutes and was entirely in French. I have, etc., BELLAMY STORER. RECEPTION OF SPANISH MINISTER TO UNITED STATES. The Duke de Arcos to Mr. Hay. [Translation.] WASHINGTON, June 1, 1899. MR. SECRETARY: I have the honor to notify your excellency that, having been appointed by His Majesty the King of Spain, and in his name by the Queen Regent of the Kingdom, his envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary near the United States of America, I have arrived at this capital for the purpose of taking charge of that high office. I transmit to your excellency, inclosed, the customary copy of the royal letter accrediting me in that capacity and a copy of the short discourse which I propose to pronounce upon being received by the President of the Republic. I therefore request your excellency to have the goodness to ask the President for an audience, in order that I may present him my letters of credence, and to inform me of the day and hour at which it is to take place. I avail myself of this opportunity to tender to your excellency the assurances of my highest consideration. ARCOS. [Inclosure 1.-Translation.] Don Alfonso XIII, by the grace of God and the constitution King of Spain, and in his name and during his minority Dona Maria Cristina, Queen Regent of the Kingdom, to the President of the Republic of the United States. GREAT AND GOOD FRIEND: The good political and commercial relations which existed between Spain and the United States having been reestablished, we have decided to select Don José Brunetti y Gayso, Duke of Arcos. Grandee of Spain, Gentleman of the Bedchamber to His Majesty, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabel the Catholic and of Naval Merit, Commander of the Royal and Distinguished Order of Carlos III, etc., to represent us in your Republic in the capacity of our envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. The special qualities which unite in the Duke of Arcos, his recognized merit, and the knowledge which he possesses of the interests of our two countries make us hope that he will be favorably received by you, and we therefore do not hesitate to request you to give entire faith and credit to all that he may tell you in our name; and wishing you happiness and prosperity to your Republic, we are, great and good friend, your good friend, IN THE PALACE AT MADRID, May 3, 1899. MARIA CRISTINA. [Inclosure 2.-Translation.] MR. PRESIDENT: I have the honor to place in your excellency's hands the royal letter by which Her Majesty, the Queen Regent of Spain, in the name of her august son, King Alfonso XIII, accredits me near this Government in the capacity of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. I have come to renew the relations of friendship which have existed from of old between Spain and the United States, and which were interrupted by the war of last year. The treaty of peace which Spain has signed put an end to that war, and now, looking only to the future, Spain desires that her relations with this Republic may be as friendly as they were in times past, and from the days in which this country was struggling to gain its independence. It is my task to contribute to the renewal of these relations, to strengthen them, and to draw them closer; and in the discharge of it I hope to be aided by the kindness and cooperation of your excellency and of your Government. No. 1.] Mr. Hay to the Duke de Arcos. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 2, 1899. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 1st instant, inclosing a copy of the royal letter accrediting you in the capacity of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of His Majesty the King of Spain near the Government of the United States, and requesting to be informed when the President will receive you in order that you may present the original to him. |