No. 328.
Sir Edward
Thornton to Mr. Evarts.
Sir: Her Majesty’s Government has been informed that the Austro-Hungarian Government has received a communication from the minister of the United States stating that the Government of Nicaragua has begged that certain documents in the archives of the United States relating to the question in dispute between Nicaragua and Great Britain should be laid before the arbitrator, but that the Government of the United States does not consider itself justified in handing over these documents merely on the request of one party, but is ready, in case the arbitrator think the requests of the Government of Nicaragua justifiable, to examine at once what documents would have to be sent over for the purpose proposed.
The Marquis of Salisbury has instructed me to express to you the [Page 503] sense entertained by Her Majesty’s Government of the friendly conduct of your government in this matter.
His lordship has conveyed to the Austro-Hungarian Government his opinion that any application of the Government of Nicaragua to that of the United States for papers which the former may think will be of use to it in the arbitration, is a matter entirely between those two governments, and does not affect in any way either the arbitrator or Her Majesty’s Government, although the course taken by the Governments of the United States and of Austria-Hungary has been dictated by friendly intentions as regards Her Majesty’s Government.
I have, &c.,