Mr. Conger to Mr.
Gresham.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Petropolis, August 30, 1893.
(Received September 26, 1893.)
No. 485.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of
dispatch No. 283 of July 18, 1893, with inclosed copy of letters
representing the prohibition by the Brazilian Government of cipher telegrams
from the United States to Brazil, and your instructions in reference
thereto.
Acting upon your telegraphic instructions of July 27, I at once secured the
removal of the restrictions to all ports except Santos, as reported in my
dispatch No. 474 of July 31 last. I have now to report the removal of the
restriction as to that city, and inclose herewith copies and translations of
all the correspondence with the foreign office on the subject.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 485.]
Mr. Conger to
Senhor Pereira.
Legation of the United States.
Petropolis, July 31,
1893.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your excellency’s telegram of the 29th instant, informing me
that cipher communications would be reestablished between the United
States of America, this capital, and States of the North.
I beg your excellency to accept my sincere personal thanks for the prompt
and willing attention to this matter, and I feel sure my Government will
experience genuine pleasure in the report of its speedy and favorable
solution.
[Page 44]
May I ask if it was not intended that Santos also should be included in
the permitted list? The magnitude of the coffee trade between that port
and New York makes it almost as important in this particular as Rio de
Janeiro.
I take pleasure in proffering to your excellency the assurances of my
highest consideration.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
485—Translation.]
Senhor Pereira to
Mr. Conger.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Rio
de Janeiro, August 2,
1893.
I have before me the note which Mr. E. H. Conger, envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, addressed me
on the 31st ultimo, thanking me for the notice of the reestablishment of
cipher telegraphic communications between his country, this capital, and
the States of the North.
As to the request which the Mr. Minister formulates in respect to Santos,
I regret to say to him it is not possible, however, to extend to that
city the measure mentioned.
I improve the opportunity to have, etc.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 485.]
Mr. Conger to
Senhor Pereira.
Legation of the United States,
Petropolis, August 3,
1893.
Sir: Acknowledging receipt of your excellency’s
note of the 2d instant with information that it is not possible to
extend the privilege of cipher communication from the United States of
America to the city of Santos, I beg to inquire if it is not possible
that some plan may be devised whereby the merchants of Santos may
deposit their cipher codes with some trusted and intelligent Brazilian
official of that city, and have all messages delivered to him for
translation.
Even this course is objectionable, yet it will save much of the annoyance
and expense of a total prohibition, and I trust your excellency’s
Government will find its adoption both possible and convenient.
I improve the occasion to renew, etc.,
[Inclosure 4 in No.
485—Translation.]
Senhor Pereira to
Mr. Conger.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Rio
de Janeiro, August 5,
1893.
I acknowledge the receipt of the note which Mr. E. H. Conger, envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of
America, addressed me on the 2d instant, asking if it was not possible
to permit, with reference to the American merchants of Santos, some
measure, by virtue of which their cipher code might be placed in the
hands of some Brazilian official in that city to whom should be
delivered all telegraphic dispatches for translation.
I have to-day addressed upon this subject the ministry of industry,
communication, and public works. I have, etc.,
[Page 45]
[Inclosure 5 in No. 485.]
Mr. Conger to
Senhor Pereira.
Legation of the United States,
Petropolis, August 16,
1893.
Sir: Referring to the note of the 5th instant,
in which your excellency informs me that you had on that date addressed
your colleague, the minister of industry, communication, and public
works, upon the proposition to permit cipher telegrams from the United
States of America to the city of Santos, and have all such telegrams
translated by a Brazilian official, as suggested in my note of the 3d
instant, I am constrained by the great importance of the question to
inquire of your excellency if the matter has not yet been
determined.
Hoping for an early and favorable reply,
I improve the occasion to renew, etc.,
[Inclosure 6 in No.
485—Translation.]
Senhor Pereira to
Mr. Conger.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Rio
de Janeiro, August 27,
1893.
The note which Mr. E. H. Conger, envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary of the United States of America, addressed me on the
16th instant, with reference to means for facilitating the reception of
cipher telegrams, sent from the said States to the city of Santos, was
duly received.
The question having been submitted to the ministry of industry,
communication, and public works, he took the opinion of the director
general of telegraphs. From him he learns that the foreign telegraph
service North in secret language has been reestablished, there
remaining, however, the requirement of translating into plain language
the correspondence between Brazil and the Republics of the Plate, which
determination was duly communicated to the central bureau of telegraphic
administrations in Berne.
If meanwhile there should still be refused in the United States of
America cipher telegrams for Brazil, will the Mr. Minister inform me to
the end that the director general of telegraphs may provide such remedy
as the case may require?
I have, etc.,
