File No. 815/1245A. The Secretary of State to the American Minister. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Mr. Knox instructs Mr. McCreery to ascertain if the Honduran Government desires to regularize the status of the Hornet as a vessel of Honduras by formal change of registry, and whether the purchase is to be consummated; and directs him to explain that it is a matter of indifference to the Government of the United States, as it should be remembered that the United States only took such action as was necessary to prevent the Hornet from engaging in hostilities pending the investigation of the Department of Justice, but that it will be prepared in the second alternative to assist the Government of Honduras in restoring the vessel to its former status by returning it to New Orleans. Mr. Knox further informs Mr. McCreery that the President has directed the Department of Justice to give instructions to the appropriate official to nolle prosse the indictment against Gen. Manuel Bonilla; but that the indictment must stand against the American citizens charged with implication in the Hornet or other illegal expeditions, as the Government of the United States is determined to exercise hereafter even greater vigilance to prevent disturbances of the peace of Central America through activities within the jurisdiction of the United States. File No. 815.00/1326. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. No. 211.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Tegucigalpa, July 25, 1911. SIR: I have the honor to report that the period of martial law, extended by presidential decree on May 19, was to-day declared terminated by public proclamation as of date of July 20. I have, etc., File No. 815.00/1393. [Extract.] J. BUTLER WRIGHT. No. 44.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Tegucigalpa, November 1, 1911. SIR: I have the honor to report that the national elections were held in this country on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the 29th to 31st ultimo, inclusive. Gen. Manuel Bonilla and Dr. Francisco Bográn are declared to have been chosen President and Vice President, respectively. CHARLES D. WHITE, I have, etc., ITALY. WAR BETWEEN ITALY AND TURKEY-DECLARATION OF NEUTRALITY OF THE UNITED STATES. File No. 765.67/42. The Italian Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. DECLARATION OF THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT. ITALIAN EMBASSY, Washington, September 30, 1911. By order of his Government the Italian chargé d'affaires has the honor to make the following declaration to the Federal American Government: The Government of the United States is already aware of the questions regarding Tripolitania and Cyrenaica which have for a long time been the subject of discussion between Italy and Turkey. The negotiations which have resulted from the many incidents which have occurred bear witness to the patience and consideration which have guided the Royal Government until now in its efforts to secure by amicable means redress for its wrongs. The situation has, however, only grown worse to such an extent that further negotiations would be as dangerous as useless. The Royal Government would have failed in its first duty by further postponing the carrying out of the measures necessary for the direct protection of the dignity of the Kingdom and of the rights and interests of its nationals. Suggestions were recently made to the Ottoman Goverment looking to the bringing about of this desired object by common accord. The plan was to bring about the Italian occupation of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, and to determine by a later agreement the final position of these countries. This final effort having likewise failed, the Royal Government has been under the painful necessity of resorting to the force of arms to attain its object. Italy, therefore, now finds itself in a state of war with Turkey, and a formal declaration to this effect has just been addressed to the Sublime Porte. The Government of the King has the honor to communicate this to the Government of the United States in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention of The Hague of October 17, 1907. The object pursued by the Italian Government coincides with the interests of all the foreigners residing in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica and with the interests of civilization, the benefits of which it hopes to assure to regions neglected for so long a time, and in which the economic activity of the nationals of all countries can develop without hindrance, because of the régime of liberty and progress which the Royal Government has the intention of there establishing. The Royal Government therefore expresses the firm confidence that the sympathies of the nations will not fail to follow the accomplishment of its task. File No. 765.67/131a. The Acting Secretary of State to the American Chargé d'Affaires at Rome. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I inclose herewith fourteen copies of the proclamation of neutrality in the present war between Italy and the Ottoman Empire, issued by the President on the 24th instant. It is desired that you send one copy to each of the American consular officers in Italy. I am, etc., [Inclosure.] ALVEY A. ADEE. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas a state of war unhappily exists between the Kingdom of Italy on the one side and the Ottoman Empire on the other side; and Whereas the United States are on terms of friendship and amity with both the contending powers and with the people inhabiting their several dominions; and Whereas in the state of war thus unhappily existing the United States, looking to both parties for the appropriate reciprocal treatment toward the United States and toward all persons owing allegiance to them, are resolved to maintain and enforce in accordance with the rules and principles governing the rights and duties of neutrals in international warfare a strict and impartiai neutrality between the aforesaid contending powers, as well as between themselves and the subjects of each, whether resident within the jurisdiction of the United States or elsewhere, Now, therefore, I, William Howard Taft, President of the United States, do, in order that strict and impartial neutrality may be observed in the premises, enjoin all persons owing allegiance to the United States, as well as all other persons within the jurisdiction of the United States, to obey in letter and spirit the laws, rules, and principles governing the conduct of neutrals in time of international conflict as such laws, rules, and principles are prescribed by the statutes of the United States, by the treaties and international conventions which have been signed, ratified, and proclaimed by the Government of the United States and by the recognized customs of nations; And I do hereby give notice and warning that all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States who may misconduct themselves in the premises will do so at their peril and will be subject to the strict and impartial enforcement of the penalties imposed by the laws, rules, and principles involved; and that all persons owing allegiance to the United States and so misconducting themselves outside the jurisdiction of the United States can in nowise obtain any protection from the Government of the United States against the appropriate legal consequences of their misconduct. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eleven, and of the [SEAL.] independence of the United States of America the one hundred and thirty-sixth. By the President: P. C. KNOX, WM. H. TAFT. Secretary of State. MEDICAL INSPECTION OF ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS. File No. 150.655/2. The Assistant Secretary of the Treasury to the Secretary of State. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 8, 1911. SIR: By direction of the Secretary I have the honor to state that the Bureau of Public Health and Marine Hospital Service is in receipt of a letter dated February 1, 1911, from the State quarantine officer of the port of New York, in which the suggestion is made that arrangements be effected for the medical representatives of the Italian Government who travel back and forth on vessels carrying immigrants between the Italian and United States ports to furnish to the quarantine officers of the port of arrival a report concerning the health of the immigrants during the trip and all details of any sickness that may have occurred. It is intended that this report should be made in addition to and independent of the report which is regularly made by the ship's surgeon. It is understood that the medical representatives of the Italian Government above referred to are surgeons detailed from the Italian Navy for the specific purpose of keeping close observation on emigrants from Italy. Therefore the Department has to request your good offices in arranging for these medical officials of the Italian Government to render reports concerning the health of and all details of any sickness occurring in Italian immigrants during the voyage, to the quarantine officer at New York, and also to the quarantine officers at Boston, Philadelphia, and New Orleans. Respectfully, C. D. HILLES. The Secretary of State to the American Ambassador. No. 167.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 28, 1911. SIR: I inclose a copy of a letter from the Treasury Department in which a suggestion is made, etc. [repeating the substance of the foregoing letter]. The Department will be gratified if you will take up the matter with the Italian Government and report its views regarding it. I am, etc., P. C. KNOX. File No. 150.655/5. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. No. 426.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Rome, July 26, 1911. SIR: Referring to the Department's instruction No. 167, etc., I have the honor to inclose herewith the reply of the Italian foreign office, accompanied by translation thereof, to the above-mentioned proposition. It will be noted that the minister for foreign affairs refers to a previous note on the subject, dated April 11, 1911; as however this note has never been received by the embassy, I have to-day asked to be furnished with a copy, which will be forwarded to the Department as soon as received. I have, etc., CHARLES S. WILSON. [Inclosure.] The Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador. [Translation.], MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Rome, July 25, 1911. Mr. AMBASSADOR: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of the note No. 311 of June 24, 1911, in which your excellency requests a reply to the notes No. 237 of January 25, 1911, and No. 256 of March 13, 1911. To this latter I have already had the honor to reply in my note dated April 11 of this year, in which I stated that I willingly complied with the request made to me by the Federal Government through the medium of your excellency, and that to the doctors sailing as royal commissioners on ships for the emigration service instructions would be given to the effect that they should report directly to the quarantine bureaus of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Orleans whether during the journey any cases of contagious diseases had occurred on board. If, however, the Government of the United States should deem it necessary that in regard to this matter an actual arrangement should be made with the Royal Government, I will willingly discuss with your excellency the necessary arrangements. I avail, etc., A. DI SAN GIULIANO. File No. 150.655/6. [The note of Apr. 11, 1911, referred to in despatch 426; transmitted to the Secretary Aug. 8.] MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, I have attentively examined the proposal which the American Embassy has made me in the name of the Federal Government, that the military doctors embarked as royal commissioners on board ships in the emigration service sailing from Italian ports receive instructions to declare directly to the quarantine officers of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Orleans whether or not during the voyage there have been any cases of contagious diseases on board. I very willingly accede to this request. and I take steps in the meantime that instructions be given to that effect to the royal traveling commissioners, whose functions depend especially upon article 11 of the law of July 17, 1910, No. 538, and articles 157 et seq. of the regulations approved by royal decree of July 10, 1901, No. 375. Of the law and regulation mentioned above I beg leave to inclose herewith two copies. I hope that this provision. collaborated in by the Federal authorities and those of the Italian Government, may give useful results in the relations between the two countries to prevent in every possible way the spread of contagion. DI S. GIULIANO. The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Treasury. September 8, 1911. SIR: Referring to your letter of February 8 last and subsequent correspondence, I have the honor to inclose a copy of a dispatch from the American ambassador at Rome, in which he forwards a copy of a note from the Italian foreign office indicating that that Government is perfectly willing to have the military doctors employed on board ships in the emigration service sailing from Italian ports declare directly to the quarantine officers at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Orleans whether or not there have been any cases of contagious diseases on board those vessels during the voyage. I have, etc., HUNTINGTON WILSON. |