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Government informs him that military parties from Paraguay have entered the disputed territory; that his Government considers this action seriously menaces peace between the two countries; and that Bolivia is most anxious to avoid a conflict.

In these circumstances the Bolivian Minister, acting under instructions, expresses the hope that the United States will be willing to represent unofficially to the Paraguayan Government the importance of preserving peace with Bolivia and of strictly complying with its agreement in regard to the status quo; that the Bolivian Government is anxious to do all in its power to avoid any ground of complaint; and that it will seek in a conciliatory and friendly spirit a settlement of the dispute.

In view of the foregoing statement by the Bolivian Minister and the earnest desire of the President to aid so far as possible in preserving peace in this hemisphere, you are instructed to approach the Paraguayan Government unofficially on this subject, expressing the hope of the President that nothing will be done by either Bolivia or Paraguay which will endanger the peace between the two countries. You will make it clear that these representations are made with no intention to interfere in behalf of either Government but in a spirit of equal friendship and solicitude for both.

It is suggested that before calling this matter to the attention of the Paraguayan Government you confidentially consult the Minister of Bolivia at Asuncion in regard to the controversy in order that you may be fully advised as to the points in dispute and the reasons for believing that peace is threatened.

The President fully realizes the delicacy of exercising the influence of the United States in this matter but he relies on your discretion and tact not to cause irritation on the part of the Paraguayan Government and to bring the matter to a successful issue.

LANSING.

File No. 724,3415/25

Minister Mooney to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

AMERICAN LEGATION, Asuncion, November 28, 1914.

The Paraguayan Government received an unofficial interview, authorized by Department's telegram of November 20, most cordially and asked me to convey to the Department its most certain assurances that it has done and will do nothing warranting a rupture of its peace with Bolivia. Paraguay denies its army has occupied or otherwise violated disputed territory and claims with much positiveness an absolute observance of the status quo. Bolivia has long had a policy of territorial expansion to reach deep river navigation on the Paraguay. No material change in the situation has taken place other than that Bolivia has become more persistent in her policy. Relations between Paraguayan Government and the Bolivian Minister are friendly to date.

MOONEY.

File No. 724.3415/26.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Bolivian Minister.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 30, 1914. MY DEAR MR. MINISTER: Referring to our conference on the 18th instant, in which you orally requested the good offices of the United States in connection with the situation which seemed to threaten the peace existing between Bolivia and Paraguay, I would advise you that as a result of instructions to the American Minister at Asuncion he now reports the substance of an unofficial interview with the Paraguayan Government. The Minister states that the Paraguayan Government asked him to convey to this Government its most certain assurances that it has done and will do nothing warranting a rupture of its peace with Bolivia. The Paraguayan Government further stated that its armed forces had not occupied or otherwise violated the disputed territory, and the Government also claimed with much positiveness that it had absolutely observed the status quo agreement.

I am [etc.]

ROBERT LANSING.

File No. 724.3415/26.

The Bolivian Minister to the Acting Secretary of State.

BOLIVIAN LEGATION, Washington, December 1, 1914. DEAR MR. LANSING: I thank you very cordially for the kind interest you have taken regarding my request concerning Bolivia's relations with Paraguay.

I intended calling on you to inform you that the troops that have appeared in the neighborhood of our forts in the vicinity of the Paraguay boundary turned out to be some filibusters armed by some land speculators.

The report of the American Minister at Asuncion is very gratifying, and it dispels any fear that might exist as to the pacific policy of our good neighbors of Paraguay.

Please accept [etc.]

I. CALDERON.

BRAZIL.

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT, MARSHAL HERMES R. DA FONSECA, TO THE CONGRESS, MAY 3, 1914.

File No. 832.032/6.

No. 377.]

Ambassador Morgan to the Secretary of State.

[Extract.]

AMERICAN EMBASSY,
Rio de Janeiro, May 19, 1914.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith duplicate copies of the annual message to the Congress of Brazil which the President sent to that body on the 3d of May.

I have [etc.]

EDWIN V. MORGAN.

Message of the President.

[Translation of passages containing references to the Government of the United States.} In regard to the internal life of the peoples of our continent, I deeply regret to be unable to declare that complete peace reigns in them all, guaranteeing the normal development and prosperity of the nations; because, unhappily, civil war still persists in the United Mexican States, with consequent friction with their neighbor the United States of America. The relations between the two Governments, since the beginning of the revolutionary movements, have lost the cordial character which we all so greatly desire to maintain among the countries of this continent. This state of things was recently aggravated by the Tampico incident, which resulted in armed conflict between the two nations. It was on this occasion that, from a common impulse of friendship for the two countries and of zeal for continental peace and fraternity, Brazil, Argentina and Chile tendered their good offices; with pleasure to ourselves and with applause from other American nations and certainly from all the Powers, we saw those good offices cordially accepted by the two Republics. In this labor of friendship we engaged in the endeavor to avert a conflict which, in addition to its inherent evils, threatened to impair the policy of rapprochement now more and more accentuated among American countries without distinction of race or origin: a policy difficult, indeed, to execute but not impossible.

In the course of the past year and of the current one our country and this capital have been visited by several foreigners of eminent social position in their countries, illustrious and distinguished for various reasons.

Among these visits, we received that of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, ex-President of the United States of America, who, coming to Brazil at the invitation of the Historical and Geographical Institute, in which invitation the Government and people of Brazil were with pleasure associated, distinguished with his presence this capital and the cities of Petropolis, S. Paulo, Santos and Porto Alegre, and, after visiting the Republics of the Plata, returned to Brazil and made a long and profitable excursion from the south to the north through the territory of our States of Matto Grosso and Amazonas.

The Brazilian Government is deeply gratified with, and takes this opportunity officially and publicly to indicate to the people and Government of the United States of America its lively recognition of the brilliant and cordial manner in

which Doctor Lauro Müller, our Minister for Foreign Affairs, was received, and of the expressions of appreciation and friendship that were shown him on his visit to that great country as an official representative of our Government and in return for the visit which Mr. Elihu Root, the then Secretary of State, made to Brazil in 1906.'

That nation and its Government having received the sincerest proofs of our consideration and friendship, has given us in turn the most positive and undoubted proofs of the reciprocity of those sentiments. This official visit has certainly contributed toward strengthening the bonds which unite the two nations, which the previous visit of the distinguished statesman, Mr. Elihu Root, had done so much to form.

All treaties and conventions of extradition participated in by Brazil were terminated upon the promulgation of Law 2416 of June 28, 1911, regulating the extradition of nationals and foreigners and the prosecution and judgment thereof when, being outside of this country, they perpetrate crimes contemplated by that law."

During the period covered by the preceding Annual Message they were all denounced, as I then had occasion to state. Three of them were terminated in the said period, and all the others will have terminated during the present period.

Up to May 3, 1913, the following treaties of this nature had been terminated in pursuance of the denouncements of the Brazilian Government: [references to those with Chile, Paraguay, and Portugal].

In the period covered by the present Message the following treaties will have terminated in pursuance of the denouncements made by the Brazilian Government:

1. With the United States of America: Treaty of May 14, 1897, and annexed Protocols of May 28, 1898, and May 29, 1901.

Denounced on January 23, 1913, by a note from our Embassy at Washington, it ceased to operate six months thereafter, on July 23, 1913. The decree of denouncement, No. 10,355, was published on the same date.

2-9 [Particulars relating to treaties with other countries.]

Upon the denouncement of these extradition treaties, and in accordance with Article 12 of the recent law upon the subject, the text thereof was communicated to all the Governments with which Brazil maintains relations.

Several of those Governments having thereupon signified their desire immediately to conclude with our Government new treaties on the subject based on the provisions of the said law, the Brazilian Government acceded to those desires; because, although such new treaties were not indispensable to us, in view of the said law, they might be necessary to other countries in vicw of their own legislation. Brazil, therefore, caused a draft extradition treaty,' drawn in accordance with the terms of the said law, to be distributed to all the said Governments, to serve as a model for those which Brazil could sign with each of them uniformly, with the intention of preventing criminal fugitives from crossing or finding asylum in the territory of any one of the contracting parties. Entirely in accord with this draft, a treaty was signed in this city on August 12, 1913, with the Republic of Bolivia. [Particulars of this act.]

The law before mentioned will likewise control the matter of extradition in this country and in those that conclude treaties with us as well as in those with whom we have not negotiated such treaties, since in our case, as I have already said, the existence of these treaties is not indispensable, by virtue of Sec. 1 of Art. 1 of the law, which concedes the extradition of nationals when, by law or treaty, the demanding country assures to Brazil reciprocity of treatment.

ASSISTANCE TO AMERICAN REFUGEES IN MEXICO BY BRAZILIAN DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR OFFICERS.

(See Mexico: Protection of American citizens, etc.)

1 For. Rel. 1913, pp. 67-74.

For. Rel. 1906, pp. 124-136.

The text of this law is printed in For. Rel. 1913, pp. 26–28.

For. Rel. 1913, pp. 25, 35.

Id. 28.

Id. 32-35.

BULGARIA.

RECEPTION OF THE FIRST MINISTER OF BULGARIA TO THE UNITED STATES.

File No. 701.7411/3.

No. 65.]

Minister Vopicka to the Secretary of State.

AMERICAN LEGATION, Bucharest, April 4, 1914. SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department that during my recent visit to Bulgaria I was informed by Mr. Radoslavoff, the President of the Council of Ministers and Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, that the Bulgarian Government was considering the establishment of a Bulgarian legation in Washington. The Minister told me that a bill would be presented at the present session of the Sobranje for the creation of such a legation and for the necessary appropriation.

I have [etc.]

File No. 701.7411/5.

[Telegram.]

CHARLES J. VOPICKA.

AMERICAN LEGATION, Bucharest, September 3, 1914.

Bulgarian Government has just notified me that Mr. S. Panaretoff has been chosen as first Bulgarian Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States and asks if his appointment is agreeable to our Government. Mr. Panaretoff graduated from Roberts College, Constantinople, 1871, and has been professor of Bulgarian language and literature there for many years. He was sent in 1880 on special mission to England, and is married.

VOPICKA.

File No. 701.7411/5.

The Secretary of State to Minister Vopicka.

[Telegram.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 10, 1914.

This Government is gratified that Bulgaria has decided to appoint a Minister to this country, and S. Panaretoff is entirely acceptable in that capacity.

BRYAN.

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