best wishes. We Greeks can not forget the enthusiastic reception accorded our cruiser Admiral Miavoulis when it recently visited United States ports, nor can we forget that thousands of our brothers gain an honest livelihood under the protection of the laws of the great and powerful Republic. Therefore the honors conferred upon the officers of the American fleet by our King were the expression of the actual sentiments of this entire nation. Greece and America are separated by thousands of miles, but distance can not lessen the friendship and admiration we have for the vigorous and magnanimous American people. We to-day are little and weak, while they are big and strong; nevertheless, the noble ideals of the two nations are the same in the main points, and both rise to the same level of moral strength in the work of civilization. In taking leave of us to-day the Americans may rest assured that they are parting with most sincere friends. I have, etc., CHARLES S. FRANCIS. Mr. Hay to Mr. Francis. No. 21, Greek series.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 21, 1902. SIR: I inclose a copy of a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, with inclosure, reporting the courtesy extended by Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Hellenes to the officer commanding the United States naval force on the European Station. The Department is gratified at the kind reception accorded to RearAdmiral Cromwell and his staff. I am, etc., JOHN HAY. [Inclosure.] Mr. Long to Mr. Hay. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 17, 1902. SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith for the information of the Department of State a copy of a letter this day received from the commander in chief, United States naval force on the European Station, with regard to his visit to Piræus, Greece. Very respectfully, J. W. LONG, Secretary. [Subinclosure.] Rear-Admiral Cromwell to Mr. Long. U. S. NAVAL FORCE ON EUROPEAN STATION, FLAGSHIP CHICAGO, Piræus, Greece, January 31, 1902. SIR: 1. I have the honor to inform the Department that in reply to inquiry made by the American minister, Mr. Charles S. Francis, Their Majesties the King and Queen of Greece fixed upon Monday, the 27th instant, as the day when it would be agree able to them to receive a visit from myself and the officers of my staff. Accompanied by the American minister, the commanding officers of the squadron, my fleet and personal staff, in all numbering eleven, we arrived at the palace from Piræus at the appointed time, and were cordially received with all honors by Their Majesties, His Majesty paying us the additional compliment of wearing the uniform of an admiral. We were also presented to Prince George, the governor of Crete, who appeared in the uniform of a vice-admiral. 2. His Majesty invited me to dine at the palace, and the invitation was afterwards formally extended to all the officers who accompanied me and to the American minister and the ladies of his family. 3. The dinner took place on Tuesday, the 28th instant. There were present Their Majesties the Princes Nicholas and Andreas, the ladies in waiting, the marechal, and the chamberlain, the American minister and ladies, the wife and daughter of the American professor, Richardson, the commander in chief and staff, and the commanding officers of the American squadron. 4. Their Majesties in turn accepted my invitation to visit the Chicago, and they, accompanied by Prince Andreas and the officials and ladies of the court, were received on board to-day with the prescribed honors, and appropriately entertained. They seemed especially pleased at the formation, drill, and marching of the battalion. 5. Their Majesties expressed their great pleasure at the reception given them, and it was manifestly apparent that they, as well as all others who were present, enjoyed their visit. Very respectfully, B. J. CROMWELL, Rear-Admiral, U. S. Navy, Commander in Chief. PROTECTION OF CUBAN INTERESTS BY UNITED STATES CONSULAR OFFICIALS. a No. 77, Greek series.] Mr. Wilson to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inform you that I have received permission from the Greek Government for the United States consular officers in that country to use their good offices in the representation of Cuba and of its citizens until Cuban consuls shall have been appointed, and I have notified the United States consuls in Greece to that effect. I am, etc., CHARLES S. WILSON, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. COURTESIES TO U. S. S. HARTFORD AT PIRÆUS. No. 104, Greek series.] Mr. Francis to Mr. Hay. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to report the arrival of the U. S. S. Hartford at Piræus, Saturday, December 6, and its departure for Villefranche, Saturday, December 13. It afforded me pleasure, at a special audience accorded for that purpose on the 10th instant, to present Commander Reeder and his staff to Their Majesties the King and Queen of Greece. On Friday, December 12, the King and Queen, accompanied by the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess and Prince Andreas, visited the Hartford. The royal party evidently enjoyed very much inspecting that historic American war ship and accepting the polite attentions and generous hospitality of Commander Reeder and his officers. The visit of the Hartford to Greece made an excellent impression upon the citizens of Athens. The members of the crew and the apprentice boys who enjoyed shore leave behaved in a way that elicited most favorable comment. I am, etc., CHARLES S. FRANCIS. @See instruction, printed, page 6. No. 4.] Mr. Hay to Mr. Jackson. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 6, 1903. SIR: With reference to your predecessor's No. 104, of the 13th ultimo, reporting the visit of the U. S. S. Hartford to the Piræus, I now inclose for your information the report of that visit as made by the commanding officer of the vessel. I am, etc., [Inclosure.] Mr. Darling to Mr. Hay. JOHN HAY. NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 2, 1903. SIR: I have the honor to inclose, for your information, a copy of part of a letter received from the commanding officer of the U. S. S. Hartford relative to a visit of that ship to Athens and Piræus, Greece. Very respectfully, [Subinclosure.] CHAS. H. DARLING, Acting Secretary. Commander Reeder to Mr. Moody. U. S. S. HARTFORD, SIR: I have the honor to report that I arrived at Piræus, the seaport of Athens, on the 6th instant. On the 7th, with six officers, I proceeded to Athens and called upon Hon. C. S. Francis, our minister plenipotentiary. On the 8th, the minister called on board and was received with the customary honors. On the 10th instant, with six officers, I was received at the palace by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Greece, and had a most pleasant reception, the King wearing an admiral's uniform. Upon my invitation, Their Majesties said they would be very glad to visit the Hartford, as they both knew and remembered Admiral Farragut, and it was arranged that their reception should take place on board at 3.30 p. m., the 12th instant. 2. Our ambassador to the Court of St. James, who was spending a few days in Athens, having expressed a desire to see this famous old ship, I invited him with his family, together with Minister and Mrs. Francis, to take luncheon with me on the 11th instant. The ambassador was received with the usual honors, and expressed himself as very much pleased with his visit to the ship. On the 12th instant, at 3.30 p. m., I received Their Majesties the King and Queen, Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and Prince Ferdinand with full honors; the ship being in full dress, yards manned, and usual salutes fired. Their Majesties made a thorough inspection of the ship and the crew at quarters, evincing the greatest interest in the apprentices and all the details connected with their training and life on board. They remained on board one hour and a half, and upon leaving expressed their appreciation of their reception on board and of having visited a ship so intimately connected with the history of our country, together with the hope that they would see us again in the port of Piræus next year. Minister and Mrs. Francis were present on board during the reception of Their Majesties. 3. Frequent liberty was given in Piræus, and I arranged that all apprentices should have twenty-four hours in Athens, in charge of the chaplain. They enjoyed visiting all the historic places, and behaved themselves in such commendable manner as to elicit favorable notices from the daily papers of Athens and Piræus. GUATEMALA AND HONDURAS. FOREIGN DEBT OF GUATEMALA-THE UNITED STATES DECLINES TO JOIN WITH OTHER POWERS IN COERCIVE ACTION, BUT WILL RESERVE FOR UNITED STATES CITIZENS ALL RIGHTS SECURED BY SUCH ACTION.a Mr. Hunter to Mr. Hay. No. 629.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the Governments of Belgium, England, France, Germany, and Italy, through their respective diplomatic representatives here, addressed a joint note to the Government of Guatemala on September 4 last, regarding the bonds of Guatemala, known as the external debt, approximating £1,600,000, now controlled by a committee in London. The diplomatic representatives here of the powers on this continent were neither asked to join in the note, nor were they consulted regarding it. Not being able to obtain from these representatives any information regarding their note, I intimated to the President that a copy of the correspondence on the subject for transmission to Washington would be gratifying to me. He at once ordered that a copy be sent me, the original of which and translation of same you will please find hereto attached. I should add that not only this external debt, but internal obligations of about $60,000,000 (silver) as well, existed when President Cabrera came into power. An earnest effort is now being made by him to effect an honorable arrangement of the entire debt, and I am quite sure that he will soon succeed if not menaced by unreasonable demands. I have, etc., W. GODFREY HUNTER. [Inclosure 1.-Translation.] The German minister to the Guatemalan minister of foreign affairs.b LEGATION OF GERMANY, Guatemala, September 4, 1901. MR. MINISTER: In the year 1895 the Government of Guatemala had entered into arrangements with the corporation of foreign bondholders which actuated in union with the committee of the Guatemalan external-debt bondholders and for which the exportation duties on coffee "irrevocably fixed at $1.50 gold per quintal for ten a See also under Germany. Identical communications sent by representatives in Guatemala of France, Great Britain, Belgium, and Italy. years," was assigned to the bondholders with full approval of the legislature as a guaranty for the payment of the debt. This was not the first occasion in which the bondholders had submitted their just claims to considerable reductions, with the view of obtaining surer guaranties for the debt; for in 1887, after an omission of eleven years, Guatemala agreed that a part of the maritime duties should be paid to a committee of the representatives of the creditors; yet, after the lapse of another six years, the Government of Guatemala was at fault with its pledges, and in 1895 the new arrangement was entered upon, as above mentioned. By an ulterior agreement had in 1896, the Government of Guatemala pledged itself to deliver the bonds representing the coffee duties directly to the Banco de Guatemala, agent of the bondholders of the debt, who had to keep the bonds, to send them to the Deutsche Bank in London, and to collect from the sale in property the required amounts. In December, 1897, the Government of Guatemala, without consulting the bondholders, entered into a contract with the new German syndicate of Hamburg for an advance upon the coffee bonds (already engaged to the bondholders of the debt), the syndicate taking the charge of setting aside part of the product of the sale of said bonds to satisfy the amount necessary for the service of the external debt. But as a consequence of a decree of April, 1898, by which the Government of Guatemala reduced the duties on coffee by two-thirds-that is to say, from $1.50 gold to $1 silver, the German syndicate notified that it found it impossible to continue attending the service of the debt, and another arrangement was entered into with the Government of Guatemala and the bondholders by which the interest of the external debt was reduced for a period of three years from 4 per cent per annum cash, to 2 per cent per annum in certificates, under the guaranty of a banking house accepted by the committee of bondholders. In this arrangement, the bondholders again submitted to such a considerable reduction in the outset, having reduced the required amount for the payment of the interest on the debt and its sinking fund from about £75,000 to £30,000 annually. The coupons corresponding to December 31, 1898, and June, 1899, were paid off according the settlement of 1898, but those of December 31, 1899, etc., have not yet been canceled. The state of affairs is to-day as follows: I. As the Government of Guatemala has only paid since November 18, 1898, 2 per cent in gold, it remains owing for the interest on the external debt £1,480,800—— 4 per cent cash, 6 per cent certificates, being changeable on the 1st of July, 1901, for new definitive titles of the external debt. II. The coupons payable on the 31st of December, 1901, and all the subsequent coupons shall be paid cash at the rate of 4 per cent complete per annum. III. During the seven years which commence on the 1st of July, 1901, and end on the 30th of June, 1908, the sinking fund must be at the rate of £6,000 per annum; after June 30, 1908, the same fund increases to £15,000 per annum. IV. According to article 7 of the agreement had on November 8, 1898, the rights granted to the bondholders by another of July 11, 1895, will remain subsistent. It is therefore plain that from July 1, 1901, the article 9 of said agreement which says: "That during ten years counted from July 1, 1895, the actual duty of $1.50 gold (6) shillings English money) shall be maintained," came again in vigor; these were to be applied to the payment of the interest and sinking fund of the external debt. The German Government together with those of Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Italy (sic) has recommended me to seriously call the attention of the Guatemalan Government to the urgent necessity of taking, without delay, measures to fulfill its pledges toward the external debt bondholders. Begging your excellency to communicate the above to His Excellency the President of the Republic, and inform me as soon as possible of the result obtained from the same, I avail myself of the opportunity, etc. VON VOIGTS RHETZ. [Inclosure 2.-Translation.] The Guatemalan minister for foreign affairs to the German minister, a OFFICE OF MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MR. MINISTER: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your excellency's communication dated 4th instant, and delivered to me yesterday, referring to the instruca Identical communications sent to representatives of Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Italy. |