the following, which Mr. Taylor urgently asked: first, that original Spanish version of repertory be put in force immediately; second, that restrictions upon importation of petroleum to Havana and Baracoa be removed. No. 170.] Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Madrid, May 24, 1894. (Received June 7.) SIR: Owing to pressing engagements in the chambers the minister of state was unable, until yesterday, to give me the promised interview as to the reciprocity arrangement. In the course of the interview I again pressed upon him all the reasons set forth in your No. 108 why the definite Spanish repertory of October 17, 1892, should be put into immediate effect. The minister frankly accepted the reasons and promised me to have an interview with the minister of ultramar at once, in order to bring about the desired result. I then passed to the contents of your No. 119, of the 10th instant, received the morning of the interview, and earnestly requested that the order of the minister of ultramar, restricting the importations of crude petroleum to the ports of Havana and Baracoa, be revoked at once. The minister agreed that the order was an improper one, promising at the same time that he would do all that he could to have the difficulty removed. At the end of the interview I at once sent you a cablegram, stating the result, a copy of which please find on the overleaf. I have to day directed to the minister of state two notes, embodying the results of yesterday's interview, copies of which please find inclosed herein. As I have written you before, the minister of state insists that I deal with the minister of ultramar only through his department, he in turn undertaking to facilitate to the utmost of his power all business transacted in that manner. I find him always ready to help me. I am, etc., HANNIS TAYLOR. [Inclosure 1 in No. 170.] Mr. Taylor to Mr. Moret. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Madrid, May 24, 1894. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to inform you that I have been directed by my Government, both by post and by telegram, to respectfully urge upon you, and through you the minister of ultramar, the imperative necessity of putting in force, without further delay, the definitive repertory executed in Spanish at Washington on the 17th of October, 1892, by the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Foster, and the Spanish minister, Señor Dupuy de Lome, under the reciprocity arrangement now existing between the two nations. As your excellency well knows, the English version, executed at the same time, was through an inadvertence sent to Spain instead of the Spanish version, and from that English version has been made a faulty Spanish translation which has long been in force to the serious detriment of American commerce as to which it has no binding force whatever. This unauthorized and faulty translation is infected with two serious infirmities. In the first place, some articles expressly entitled to the benefits of the arrangement under the authorized version are entirely omitted from the spurious version. In the second place, endless confusion arises out of the application of the spurious version by reason of the fact that the names of many articles are mistranslated therein by literal paraphrases instead of commercial terms. The following may be taken as illustrations: In the authorized Spanish version butter is properly described as manteca de vaca; in the spurious version as manteca de cerdo (lard). Spirits of turpentine, properly described by the Spanish commercial term aguarras, is literally translated in the spurious version as espiritu de trementina; knives for cutting cane in the same way are called cuchillos para cortar cana instead of machetes, etc. In this way many articles clearly and distinctly entitled to the benefits of the arrangement in the authorized Spanish version are subjected to customs dues, confiscated, and sold, upon the ground that they do not appear in the spurious version under which the customs officials are now acting. In this way nearly all of the cases now pending at Madrid for redress have arisen. It will hardly be necessary for me to suggest that in the determination of these cases the minister of ultramar will look of course only to the text of the authorized Spanish version which was prepared with the greatest care and deliberation. Your excellency knows that a copy of that version duly attested and certified by the Spanish minister at Washington has been in the possession of the Government at Madrid for many months, and that a mere executive order will put it into immediate force. Your excellency, in our interview of yesterday, very frankly admitted that that course should be taken at once, and I thank you for your promise to take immediate steps, in connection with the minister of ultramar, so that the desired result may be accomplished without further delay. I seize, etc., [Inclosure 2 in No. 170.] Mr. Taylor to Mr. Moret. HANNIS TAYLOR, LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, EXCELLENCY: In our interview of yesterday I had the honor to call your attention to the fact that under a direct order made by the minister of ultramar (circular of intendant general, November 13, 1893), importations of crude petroleum from the United States to Cuba have been restricted to the ports of Havana and Baracoa. Ifurther explained that under the reciprocity arrangement "petroleum unrefined" (article No. 18) and "petroleum refined" (article No. 26) are entitled, on the terms stated therein, to entry "into all the established ports of entry of the Spanish islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico." It is unnecessary for me to demonstrate by argument that the order of the minister of ultramar is in direct violation of the arrangement, because your excellency frankly admitted that fact. I thank you for your promise to conFR 9439 fer with the minister of ultramar and to use your good offices in having the order in question revoked as soon as possible. It was evidently made through inadvertence. I seize, etc., HANNIS TAYLOR. Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. MADRID, May 29, 1894. Mr. Taylor informs the Department that in an interview with the minister for foreign affairs on the 29th instant, he promised to go in person to the minister for the colonies and demand that Spanish repertory take effect at once. No. 184.] Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Madrid, June 13, 1894. (Received June 25.) SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 10th instant, the minister of state advised me in a personal note that he desired to see me the next day at 3 o'clock in order to discuss with me certain pending matters. I met him at the time appointed and was pleased to hear from him that he had resolved to have a royal order made at once putting into immediate effect the definitive repertory executed in Spanish at Washington October 17, 1892. The result of the interview I reported to you in my cablegram of the 12th instant, a copy of which is appended on the overleaf. I was promised by the minister official notice of the making of the order, which I have not yet received. Last night I received a note from him saying that the papers had been made out and sent to the department of ultramar for execution. I hope to receive the official notice of final action to-day or to-morrow. I am, etc., HANNIS TAYLOR. Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. MADRID, June 17, 1894. Mr. Taylor informs the Department that he has received official notice from the president of the council stating that telegraphic orders have been sent to Cuba and Puerto Rico putting definitive repertory into immediate effect. Mr. Taylor to Mr. Gresham. No. 192.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith, with translation, a copy of the official notice just received from the ministry of state as to the promulgation of the definitive repertory. I am, etc., HANNIS TAYLOR. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to inform you that the ministry of the colonies has to day sent a telegram to the governor-general of Cuba ordering the publication in the Gazette and the immediate application of the Spanish version of the repertory signed by Señor Dupuy de Lôme, a copy of which was sent him by Her Majesty's representative in Washington. By the next mail the same instructions will be sent to the governorgeneral of Puerto Rico, either by sending him a copy if it is possible or by instructing the governor-general of Cuba to forward to the governor-general of Puerto Rico copies of the Gazette in which the repertory is published. In communicating the foregoing the minister for the colonies expresses the hope that, should any difficulties or doubts arise as to the exact meaning of the language of the English and the Spanish versions of the repertory, they will be settled by common accord with that good faith and reciprocal loyalty becoming friendly nations. I avail, etc., S. MORET. Mr. Adee to Mr. Taylor. No. 161.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have received your No. 192, of the 22d ultimo, inclosing copy of a note from the Spanish minister of state, reporting that orders had been issued for the publication and enforcement of the correct Spanish text of the repertory. It is now, therefore, confidently expected that you will be able to promptly arrange for the early refunding of the fines and dues levied on American importers under the former incorrect one. I am, etc., ALVEY A. ADEE, Acting Secretary. ALIEN CONTRACT LABOR CASES. Mr. Muruaga to Mr. Gresham. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SPAIN, Washington, January 22, 1894. The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of Spain, impelled by the alarming intelligence, not only of an official character, but also from private sources, coming to this legation from Key West with regard to the direction which the question of the emigration of peninsular Spaniards to that island is taking there, ventures to call the attention of the honorable Secretary of State to the spirit and letter of the treaty in force between the United States and Spain, ratified April 25, 1796. The labor question in that locality has been converted into a political one through the agitation kept up by the Cuban filibusters, headed by the Cuban revolutionist José Marti, to the great detriment not only of the tobacco industry, but also of the interests and security of the American citizens. The pretext offered for requesting the expulsion of the Spanish (peninsular) twisters who landed recently, to wit, that they are soldiers and are subject to military jurisdiction, is absurd and without foundation. The same thing is true of all the subjects of France, Italy, Germany, and Austria, but nobody has thought of expelling them because they are subject to compulsory military service. If the absurd theory that the tobacco industry is to be monopolized by the Cubans were to prevail the American manufacturers would be left at the mercy of the strikes which would be organized under some pretext or other, and would be the victims of the exactions of the professional agitators. The undersigned, for this reason, can not help fearing the possibility of retaliation if Key West, in spite of the vehement protests of the sensible part of its population, should be converted into a center of conspiracy and of hostility to Cuba, which retaliation might take the form of complete commercial isolation between Key West and the ports of Cuba. The undersigned, therefore, appeals to the wisdom of the honorable Secretary of State to intervene in this controversy and avails himself, etc., E. DE MURUAGA, Mr. Uhl to Mr. Muruaga. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 22d ultimo, in regard to the emigration of certain peninsular Spaniards to Key West, in which you state that the agitation for their expulsion is purely political and due to the animosity of Cuban filibusters, and that the pretext which has been made that they are soldiers and subject to military jurisdiction is absurd and without foundation. The representations which have reached you touching the grounds upon which the men in question have been treated are, I am happy to state, inaccurate. The action of the Treasury officials was taken solely in compliance with the provisions of the alien contract labor statutes, which it pertains to the Secretary of the Treasury to enforce when it is established that foreign laborers coming to the United States fall under the defined prohibition. A copy of your note and of this reply will be sent to the Secretary of the Treasury for his information. Accept, etc., EDWIN F. UHL,Acting Secretary. Mr. Muruaga to Mr. Gresham. [Translation.] LEGATION OF SPAIN, Washington, February 10, 1894. The undersigned, minister of Spain, referring to his note of January 22 last, has the honor to notify the honorable Secretary of State that, by a cablegram of yesterday, the governor-general of the Island of Cuba |